Markers, but with adequate info
Alice - The markers are picking up cell sheds in our blood. At diagnosis, unless we are stage IV at that point, most of us will have a marker in normal range. This is because the cancer is confined to the primany tumor site and perhaps a few nodes. There is probably more in our lymph than in our blood at dx. (Maybe someone can correct or confirm that last statement.)
So an early marker will not necessarily be indicative of what is to come. It is a starting point or base line. If one has a high grade type and takes a chemo that is not effective (me, for example), the only way to know how we are doing is by checking markers and having scans.
Being staged IIIb is not the same as IV. There are various reasons for a person's staging from tumor size to number of involved nodes. But the cancer is still considered "in check." A normal range number would be considered accurate for stage III.
Perhaps with the advent of successful use of Herceptin, the thinking is turning away from using the present tumor markers for early stage AND hormone positive.
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"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.
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