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At least yours work!
Havaj,
I never had that marker rise at all - even when dx with extensive liver mets. At least you seem to have a reliable indicator there, which is good. I know it doesn't seem that way.
My rockstar oncologist does not use markers for me; she relies on scans because, in her words, "the proof is in the pudding". How that relates to bc, I'm not sure...but in the context of what you already KNOW is going on with the lesions in your liver, your tumor markers going up is just another data point. Think of it as more information, not more cancer.
In the meantime, keep your eye on the goal - to rid your body of these mets - which can happen as you have heard from many on this board.
I haven't been keeping up on the board lately, so I don't know what treatment plan you've decided on, but now knowing that marker is valid for you is good because you may have a good tool to measure your response to treatment, along with maybe the Her2serum test.
Sorry about that run on sentence. I seem to have plenty of commas but am short on periods.
Hang in there,
Chris
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Chris in Scotts Valley
June 2002 extensive hi grade DCIS (pre-cancer-stage 0, clean sentinal node) Mastectomy/implant - no chemo, rads. "cured?"
9/2004 Diag: Stage IV extensive liver mets (!) ER/PR- Her2+++
10/04-3/05 Weekly Taxol/Carboplatin/Herceptin , complete response!
04/05 - 4/07 Herception every 3 wks, Continue NED
04/07 - recurrence to liver - 2 spots, starting tykerb/avastin trial
06/07 8/07 10/07 Scans show stable, continue on Tykerb/Avastin
01/08 Progression in liver
02/08 Begin (TDM1) trial
08/08 NED! It's Working! Continue on TDM1
02/09 Continue NED
02/10 Continue NED. 5/10 9/10 Scans NED 10/10 Scans NED
12/10 Scans not clear....4/11 Scans suggest progression 6/11 progression confirmed in liver
07/11 - 11/11 Herceptin/Xeloda -not working:(
12/11 Begin MM302 Phase I trial - bust:(
03/12 3rd times the charm? AKT trial
5/12 Scan shows reduction! 7/12 More reduction!!!!
8/12 Whoops...progression...trying for Perjeta/Herceptin (plus some more nasty chemo!)
9/12 Start Perjeta/Herceptin, chemo on hold due to infection/wound in leg, added on cycle 2 &3
11/12 Poops! progression in liver, Stop Perjeta/Taxo/Herc
11/12 Navelbine/Herce[ptin - try for a 3 cycles, no go.
2/13 Gemzar/Carbo/Herceptin - no go.
3/13 TACE procedure
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