Tumor Markers

[MCS]

I'm scared.

I read on another thread that markers were down to 1.5 and 7.

Mine have never been lower than 12.4

When I was under Taxol w Herceptin, they were up to 26.5.

I'm scared here now. Please comment on range

thank you

Maria ( mcs)

[Brenda_D]

Which markers?

I was just looking at a website that tells about various markers and what normal levels are.

Link (http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/tumor_markers.jsp)

[Stephanie B.]

My BR 27-29 went up to 87 this month which was 20 higher than the month before. I have been on Taxol bi-weekly since February. I was freaking out about them going up, but my PET scan showed everything was looking better and almost gone. My onc attributed the high marks due to the fact that I had a bladder infection for 4 weeks. He also said markers usually lag behind and take longer to show progress than scans do. I wouldn't worry about your number - high normal is 38.6 so at 12 you are fine.

Hang in there

Stephanie B.

[Chelee]

My CA 27-29 seems to always be at 15. I think my lab doesn't want it over 38? I'd have to look. Mine have never been lower then that and so far all my PET/CT scans have come back clean. As far as I know I am NED. (Knock wood) So I wouldn't worry too much about that. I think your just fine. :)

Chelee

[Becky]

My markers are always all over the place but under 38. I have had readings that range from 8 to 21. It is what is normal for you. My cousin (who goes to the same onc as me) always runs in single digits and scored a 12 last time and FREAKED. I just said that's a low reading for me who always is in the high teens.

I wouldn't give this a second thought. However, if your numbers are dramatically going up, up, up - that's different.

Even if you are slightly above 38 consistently and "thats your number" then thats your number.

Hope this helps

[Hopeful]

Maria,

Take a look at the attachment in this thread from April where Barbara2 had a consult with Dr. Pegram and asked all of our questions, which he answered: http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=28017&highlight=Pegram

Barbara asked him about the CA27-29 markers, and he had this to say about her numbers:


They’re all in the normal range. It doesn’t mean a thing. Any bouncing around in the normal range doesn’t mean a thing. I don’t get impressed unless those things double on 2 separate occasions, back to back, a month apart. To impress me it would have to go from 20 to 40 to 80, then I’d say maybe something’s going on. That just means it’s time to take a look with some tests, but it’s not alarming. But 20 to 40 even, doesn’t get me excited. 40 doesn’t mean anything; 38 is the upper end of normal. So if it doesn’t double twice, then I’m unimpressed.


<o =""></o>Hope this helps.

Hopeful

[suzan w]

my oncologist says that anything under 40 is 'normal' mine have been in the 4-6 range since end of herceptin. she also says that tumor markers really are not an absolute guarantee of anything!!!

[MCS]

Thank you for responding. We get so freaked out you know.

I did place a call to the onc. I know I would not be able to sleep if I did not get a response from him.

He said that different people have different bases which are normal for them. The low scores are extraordinary. A normal range is teens to the 37 or 40 mark. If it started to move up quickly after two occassions then it would be a matter of concern. This is the same comment above from Hopeful

I have asked about the Bayer test and he told me that it's used to monitor recurrence but it's used for er+/pr+ women, which I am not, and therefore would not be useful for me. Yet I have seen other women here that are negative also and are still getting the test. I don't want to demand the test unless there's a reason to believe that I would benefit from such.

Thank you all. Let me know if you are negative er /pr and your doctors recommended the Bayer anyway

Love

Maria (mcs)

[MCS]

By the way Brenda, the link was great for information on tumor markers.

Love

Maria

[tousled1]

Maria,

The Bayer Serum Test can and is used for women who are ER/PR+. Hormone status does not affect the HER2 serum test. It is usually used for metastatic HER2 breast cancer patients.

Here are some links to info on the HER2 serum test

http://www.her2support.org/patientb.pdf

http://www.her2support.org/faq.pdf

[Lolly]

I'm ER/PR- and my onc agreed to run the Bayer Serum for me last year when I was starting a new treatment due to progression:

month one - 12.7
month two - 11.5
month three - 6.8

Even though my initial number was below what's considered high (13-15), the fact that it dropped by half by the third month was considered to be a indication that I was responding to treatment.

The Bayer Serum is approved for use in metastatic bc, so some oncs are reluctant to use it in early stage since it's not known whether it's accurate for early stager's.

[hutchibk]

"Normal" range for CA15.3 is stated as zero to 30. However, as my onc says, tumor markers are tricky when trying to generalize them, normal is what ever is normal for you, based on your base line and TM history.

Whether your normal is below or above the clinical "normal range", but you see a steady rise in numbers from lab to lab (over 3-4 labs) - then there is a cause for looking further for activity.

[StephN]

Hi Maria -

To your first question: My CA27-29 has been completely stable between 19 and 22 for FIVE years, since I was declared NED. So my normal must be only a hair above the "Norm," but well below the high end.

Take my CEA - there my normal is VERY low at .6 or .7.

I am ER & PR negative and have had no mention of my hormonal status in regards to this test. My results have been in the 7 to 9 range in the past year.

I am sure you are JUST FINE!