Blood work and mets

[mmoons]

Hi friends,

Can you tell me if your mets where discovered because of your blood panel...or because of symptoms...or because of scans?

I guess this is kind of a poll (excepts I am not smart enough to figure out how to do it in a post...lol).

Thank you so much!

Maureen

[SoCalGal]

Hi Mo,
Markers jumped after 11 years of being "normal" - that was my first clue.
Hope that doesn't un-nerve people, BUT considering the lack of Herceptin in my early treatment plan, along with the extreme radiation burns, having cells come back 11 years later, is not as shocking as I once thought. I truly believe that had Herceptin been available to me in 1996, I would not have had a recurrence nor an advance. This will be my fifth year stage 4 surviving, and my 5th year on targeted therapy every 3 weeks (no wonder I'm exhausted all the time:-)

[CoolBreeze]

My blood has always been normal. MY mets were found on a scan "incidentially." I had back pain and liver mets were found. Never did find out why my back was hurting but a new mattress pad seems to have helped. :)

[Delaney]

My Oncologist says my blood work never tells him anything. My mets were discovered when symptons led to scans.

[KDR]

For me, higher CEA numbers mean progression, not necessarily new mets. Or simply that the current regimen has stopped working. When my oncologist sees that spike, scans are in order, as they "trump" everything.
Best
Karen

[Lori R]

Like Cool Breeze, my blood always appears normal.

We only know what is happening via scans.

So...scans it is...lots of them. Makes me nervous but no option.

Lori

[Bunty]

I had a 'freak' accident Oct 2007, and had suspected broken ribs (none were broken). However, they noticed something suspicious on the X-ray, which turned out to be lung mets. No symptoms and bloods were normal. Liver tumour 3 years later was found by routine CT scan, and CA15-3 had risen for the first time in 11 years.
Cheers Marie

[Emelie B]

My blood work never tells anything. I had a dry cough that would not go away. Went for CT and they found lung mets. Then had PET scan that showed all the rest. This was 2 years after completion of h for the first go around.
Emelie