Question for people who had/have brain mets

[sherri]

I have a question for people with brain mets. Did you check your tumor marker when you find out? I heard tumor marker level is very high when you have brain mets? Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[jojo]

Hi Sherri,

I have had brain mets in the past, but I have never had tumor markers to monitor for. Mets were found via brain MRI without any symptoms. I guess it's because tumors were situated in my cerrebullum, not the brain that operates us with logical thinking, intelligience & such.

Anyone else know about Sherri's question?

[pattyz]

Sherri,
The CA27-29 has been very accurate for me when it comes to systemic mets. It was very high when I was dx'd with mets to mediastinal node/s (plus spot on lung and pelvis) July '02. After my chemo three yrs+ ago, marker has been in the low normal range. All scans confirm no other mets so far.

It has stayed in the low normal all during my brain mets recurrances. My onc has no answer as to why this is so.

[mickey]

ditto, Patty

[IVW]

My tumor markers have been a good indicator of cancer in my body ever since diagnosis 6 years ago. So, I pay attention to it even though oncologists tell you not to.

I had mets in bone, liver and and lung. A year of herceptin and navelbine weekly cleared them all up, my tumor markers dropped amazingly within weeks of starting this regime. My CA- 27/29 went down to normal (from 405 to <37) the CEA dropped from like 18 to 8 but never got to normal (3 or less). When an MRI found 3 brain mets and I had whole brain radiation and then stereotactiv radiation, my CEA finally went down to the normal range. So, now I feel like the CEA seems to indicate what is going on in my brain.

[Karen t]

What are (what do they test, what should the ranges be):
CA 27/29
CEA
CA 15-3

Does the book (Making of Herceptin) include all this info?

Thanks everyone.

[StephN]

Hi -
My med onc uses CA27-29 and mine has been back in normal range since I got rid of liver and bone mets. Hovers around 20 and below 37 is normal.

We decided to also monitor my CEA as I had word from a friend that some of her tumors did not respond to the CA27-29 and were making CEA. I am glad I did this as this is the marker that was picking up my brain mets, which like JoJo's gave me no symptoms.

During my brain mets epidode my CEA rose slowly over 4 months from 1 up to a little over 6 (less than 5 being normal). Then it shot up to 9 and then 14 and then to a high of about 18+.
The CEA is now .8 - even less than one. The lowest ever. And that feels good to me!

I don't recall any of this info in the book, "The Making of Herceptin."

[sherri]

Thank you so much for the info.
Karen for Tumor marker range you can check this site : www.vh.org/adult/patient/cancercenter/tumormarker/ (http://www.vh.org/adult/patient/cancercenter/tumormarker/)