Breast Cancer Count??????????

LOPSIDED · 04-21-2006, 07:23 PM

I'M STILL IN THE LEARNING PROCESS OF THIS JOURNEY. I WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER WOMAN WITH BREAST CANCER WHO ALSO GOES TO MY DOCTOR, AND SHE SAID I SHOULD BE KEEPING UP WITH MY BREAST CANCER COUNT. SHE SAID THE NUMBERS LET YOU KNOW IF THE CELLS ARE ACTIVE OR DORMANT. SHE TOLD ME THE CODE WAS CA27-29. I WAS DIAGNOSED IN SEPT 2005 AND I DON'T RECALL MY DOCTOR TELLING ME ABOUT THIS----SOMETIMES I FORGET THINGS OR MAY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO KEEP MY COMPOSURE WHILE HE TALKED ABOUT TREATMENTS WITH ME. THEY ALWAYS CHECKED MY COUNTS (RED & WHITE), MY PLATLETS & HEMOGLOBIN. HER CANCER HAS SPREAD TO THE BONE AND AS FAR AS I KNOW MINE HAS NOT SPREAD. I DID HAVE 8 POS. NODES OUT OF 10. DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS BREAST CANCER COUNT? THANKS FOR ANY INFO. SHEILA

Lisa · 04-21-2006, 07:52 PM

The count or counts are blood tests that supposedly determine how much cancer is in you blood. For some of us, it is a great indicator. For others the numbers are never accurate. I have my blood drawn every week when I go in for Herceptin. Currently, I feel pretty good, but my 2 counts are both way out of site. I suppose it's because we know I do still have mets in my liver and back.

There are two site ranges they look at. But I forget what they are at the moment. I'm sure someone else who's not feeling lazy well share much more of what they know.

Love and light,

Lisa

chrislmelb · 04-22-2006, 12:27 AM

Sheila, i think you will find that as an early stager you will not have your counts monitored as regularly as the metastatic women.

Christine

Sheila · 04-22-2006, 04:32 AM

Sheila
I agree with Chris and Lisa...there are 2 tests they use, one is the CA 27-29 and the other is the CA15-3? I think...anyway, like Lisa said, they are not reliable for everyone, and you probably wont have one ordered while you are still in treatment. For some they are a very accurate test, others can have perfect results and have out of control mets...I would say after your treatments are done, you will probably have routine CT, Bone, PET scans and don't forget the MRI of the brain.....very important for us!!!