help! tumor markers rising on xeloda -- what now?
 

I have been dealing with bone mets for about 4 yrs. I started xeloda 8/05. Then my ca2729 was about 150. PET showed lots of activity in ribs & vertebrae. By Dec. the PET was much improved, some spots gone, others much better. . My ca2729 has been rising the last couple months. In Dec. it was down to 42, then it was 50, then 55, now my tumor marker is up even from from 3 weeks ago -- now it's 64. I saw the doc yesterday. I am increasing my dosage of xeloda for one cycle to see if that makes a difference, will retest the marker again on 3/20, have scans on 3/23 & see the doc again on 3/27. Damn, if it's growing again & this drug is no longer useful, I dread what's next.

I know the ca2729 is not perfect, but here's a definite trend upward. I have felt so good on the xeloda - it's been such a manageable one for me unlike all the others I've been on (see below).

I'm so afraid again -- another chemo that's only working short term? where is the cancer now? what next?

Dx 6/13/01 – inflammatory bc
6-13-01 –mastectomy

7 – 12 /01 6 months of chemo: 4 treatments A/C; 4 treatments taxol

1/02 - 30 radiation treatments

2/02 – 9/02 – tomoxifen

9/02 – bone mets dx

9-12/02 – femara

1/03 – 6/03 – taxotere & herceptin & aredia

6/03-12/03 – faxlodex & zometa

1 – 04 - 12/04 - navelbine, herceptin, zometa

1-05 – 7-05 herceptin, zometa
8-05 – present – xeloda, zometa, herceptin

Pam-


I don't know what is next for you (I am currently on xeloda), but I wanted to send good thoughts your way. My friend describes her options for treatment as a magician saying he's gots lots in his bag of tricks...and that hopefully the next treatment will be the successful one!!)

regards,
Shell

Pam,

I sure hope a little extra Xeloda does the trick. Dam those tumor markers. Love em and hate em. I hate to worry about them all the time, but then again we can't afford not to pay attention to them. Hopefully a temporary increased dose will get things back in the normal range.

My Best to You, Kim in CA

Pam welcome to this site. You will find much inspiration here as well as good info. Inflammatory is a tough one as everyone is different My oncologist keeps saying its a chronic illness we live with. I have had it for 5 years and am doing well. I only have skin mets. One has to keep trying combos as inflammatory can turn resistant to drugs. Tumor markers aren't always accurate-they do not work on me with just skin mets so we don't do them anymore. In your case its probably a good thing to watch them until you get a pattern that works for you. I get scanned faithfully, every 6 months per orders of my oncologist. Don't get discouraged. If you want an IBC sister to help you I will be that sister. We can e-mail personally. There are a few on this board that are IBC and everyone is Her2 positive. Only 2 to 3% are IBC so we are few and far between. I am always looking for IBC'ers to share info with. You probably will hear from others with IBC here. I wish you well. My e-mail is sanhenry@prexar.com hugs Sandy

I'm not sure I really understand tumor markers.


1/04 - dx stage 2a, 0 lymph nodes, 2cm, er/pr-, her2+++, grade 3
12/05 - dx stage 4, bone (4 spots on spine and 1 on femur) and liver mets (2 tumors less than 2cm each)
12/05 - weekly herceptin/taxol/carboplatin (3 weeks on, 1 week off with a 4mg Herceptin loading dose)
2/06 - finally got Onc to do CA27/29 markers. He said they wouldn't be useful. My marker was:

15.2 (with top limit of 35 for being normal)

Why are my tumor markers normal???????????