HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

StephN · 04-09-2009, 11:41 AM

First I must commend Marily on her honest post. This is why we should NEVER talk to the nurses, unless we know them! They change often and sometimes there is a "floater" covering and they know nothing of our case or tests.

Interesting about the CTC blood test. I have gone a similar route, and have used another test ever since my stage IV liver mets in 2002. It has been quite accurate for me. It is the CEA, or Carcinoembryonic Antigen.

Normal is between 0.0 and 2.0 - my number is consistently below .7, or undetectable. The version of this test I have is by Siemens/Bayer Centaur. They say that over 4.0 is abnormal. There was an older version that had 5 as the abnormal number.

The only time my number was out of normal was either with my liver mets or brain mets. It was this number climbing that sent my onc in search of some new tumor activity. I had no brain symptoms, so we first looked elsewhere and came up with nothing. My CEA was tracking my brain mets.

This test and the Her2 serum ELISA so far work for me.

Mary Anne, you need to have a way to gain some peace of mind over this disease. If this blood test helps, than take this as a sign that your cancer days are behind you.

04-09-2009, 11:41 AM	#12
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	First I must commend Marily on her honest post. This is why we should NEVER talk to the nurses, unless we know them! They change often and sometimes there is a "floater" covering and they know nothing of our case or tests. Interesting about the CTC blood test. I have gone a similar route, and have used another test ever since my stage IV liver mets in 2002. It has been quite accurate for me. It is the CEA, or Carcinoembryonic Antigen. Normal is between 0.0 and 2.0 - my number is consistently below .7, or undetectable. The version of this test I have is by Siemens/Bayer Centaur. They say that over 4.0 is abnormal. There was an older version that had 5 as the abnormal number. The only time my number was out of normal was either with my liver mets or brain mets. It was this number climbing that sent my onc in search of some new tumor activity. I had no brain symptoms, so we first looked elsewhere and came up with nothing. My CEA was tracking my brain mets. This test and the Her2 serum ELISA so far work for me. Mary Anne, you need to have a way to gain some peace of mind over this disease. If this blood test helps, than take this as a sign that your cancer days are behind you. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018. Last edited by StephN; 04-09-2009 at 11:45 AM..