HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Were your mets found through scans/bloodwork?

StephN · 01-07-2005, 03:18 PM

Hi Rozebud -
This is a very important question and one that deserves debate in most cases. However, the way things have been going for us Her2+++ patients, there is no such thing as too much monitoring from my experience.
My first liver mets showed up by CA27-29 breast cancer marker at the same time I started having some symptoms such as a pain in my right side.
I was on an every 3-month followup schedule at that time (only 6 months after getting off first round chemos). Tumor marker went from 19 in Oct to 70 by first week of Jan. At that time about 55-60% of my liver was tumor ridden. CEA was not up appreciably was the soft tissue tumor was not making this protein.
Once this was all cleaned up and I was off the trial drugs, we went with 3-week Herceptin/Zometa + markers. The CEA was added as a regular screen after first year NED.
Now with this brain tumor, it is apparent that it makes the CEA protein which is circulated out of my brain through the blood where the marker picks it up.
You, I believe have had Herceptin. I did not until stage IV. This may have made a difference in my case, but the way the liver mets came so fast and furious with high grade tumor, maybe not.
I would at least get the 3-month bloodwork including marker and see your med onc that often for the first 2 years. This is not an unreasonable request.

01-07-2005, 03:18 PM	#3
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Hi Rozebud - This is a very important question and one that deserves debate in most cases. However, the way things have been going for us Her2+++ patients, there is no such thing as too much monitoring from my experience. My first liver mets showed up by CA27-29 breast cancer marker at the same time I started having some symptoms such as a pain in my right side. I was on an every 3-month followup schedule at that time (only 6 months after getting off first round chemos). Tumor marker went from 19 in Oct to 70 by first week of Jan. At that time about 55-60% of my liver was tumor ridden. CEA was not up appreciably was the soft tissue tumor was not making this protein. Once this was all cleaned up and I was off the trial drugs, we went with 3-week Herceptin/Zometa + markers. The CEA was added as a regular screen after first year NED. Now with this brain tumor, it is apparent that it makes the CEA protein which is circulated out of my brain through the blood where the marker picks it up. You, I believe have had Herceptin. I did not until stage IV. This may have made a difference in my case, but the way the liver mets came so fast and furious with high grade tumor, maybe not. I would at least get the 3-month bloodwork including marker and see your med onc that often for the first 2 years. This is not an unreasonable request.