HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Tumor markers are up, & so is my anxiety!

Chelee · 09-20-2009, 08:37 PM

Jackie, It's not funny...but I did have to laugh at your first sentence about your onc & taking anti-depressants. I can SO relate. Some of these doctors these days are just unbelievable. Totally clueless!

Elaine, I've read so much since my last appt. about TM'ers that I think I'll need to see my optometrist. I almost completely blind at this point. lol Thanks for the links on TM'ers. I did find one thing tonight that could be responsible for my TM'ers rising?

On PubMed I found an article on TM'er and it mentioned some of the woman with breast cancer that had slowly elevated tumor markers were caused by "Interstitial lung fibrosis". All my PET/CTs from the first one has shown that I have "chronic interstital disease throughout both lungs". It says consistent with Atelectasis or scarring. But it always says on my PET/CT "unchanged". Then June & July my husband & I both had a really bad lung infection of some kind? It stuck with us for a good two months. We took anti-biotics and cleared it up but we have both been complaining about our lungs. It feels like they still have phlegm and mucus stuck in there.

So now I'm thinking since I already have chronic interstital disease...topped with this nasty lung infection or whatever it is we've had....that might explain the elevation with my TM'ers? I'm grasping at everything if you can't tell.

I have my PET/CT in the morning. Check-in time 7:30 AM. Then I just have to "wait" till Thursday...that is not going to be easy.

Chelee

09-20-2009, 08:37 PM	#37
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Re: Tumor markers are up, & so is my anxiety! Jackie, It's not funny...but I did have to laugh at your first sentence about your onc & taking anti-depressants. I can SO relate. Some of these doctors these days are just unbelievable. Totally clueless! Elaine, I've read so much since my last appt. about TM'ers that I think I'll need to see my optometrist. I almost completely blind at this point. lol Thanks for the links on TM'ers. I did find one thing tonight that could be responsible for my TM'ers rising? On PubMed I found an article on TM'er and it mentioned some of the woman with breast cancer that had slowly elevated tumor markers were caused by "Interstitial lung fibrosis". All my PET/CTs from the first one has shown that I have "chronic interstital disease throughout both lungs". It says consistent with Atelectasis or scarring. But it always says on my PET/CT "unchanged". Then June & July my husband & I both had a really bad lung infection of some kind? It stuck with us for a good two months. We took anti-biotics and cleared it up but we have both been complaining about our lungs. It feels like they still have phlegm and mucus stuck in there. So now I'm thinking since I already have chronic interstital disease...topped with this nasty lung infection or whatever it is we've had....that might explain the elevation with my TM'ers? I'm grasping at everything if you can't tell. I have my PET/CT in the morning. Check-in time 7:30 AM. Then I just have to "wait" till Thursday...that is not going to be easy. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.