CA 27.29 test - what is too high?

michele54

Well I just keep getting sucky news but am admitting I use Dr Google more than I should.  My blood tests came back and all were in the normal range except for my CA 27.29 which it seems is the one that we want to be normal.  Dr Google tells me that anything over 100 is pretty bad but I've seen posts from women who were in the 600's.  I have not had any treatment or surgery yet - still waiting for all the tests results.  Can anyone help explain the numbers?

Almost forgot - CA 27.29 was 140.  This is on a newly diagnosed breast cancer that has had no treatment in any way

NancyD

I believe "normal"  (That is, someone who does not have a cancer tumor lode) is below 40, but everyone has their own  "normal" and yours could be higher.  The thing the oncs look for is a change, either up or down, from the initial readings they take to indicate a change in the tumor lode.

priz47

It is going to be high as you have cancer! Now when you have undergone treatment, such as removing the cancer by surgery, it will lower and it will lower after rads and chemo. There is a slight ncrease during treatment as cells are dying off and most oncs expect this. What they look for is an increase AFTER treatment is done, looking fo reocurance. Please do not worry! Get you plan together and move forward!

D

michele54

Thanks for the info.  When he told my score was 140 and normal was 50, I got a little worried.  Of course Dr Google talked about high scores and recurrences and mets which started all the scans and tests in the first place.  I thought maybe the cancer really had spread. The one good thing is my doctor told me my CEA scoreand all the other blood tests were normal.

Hugs to all of you.

NancyD

Michele, most oncs will only take the 27.29 results "seriously" after you have finished treatment for a few months. They like to look at it while you are in treatment, I guess, but it doesn't mean mets if it goes up because it's reading the level of cells—both dead and alive—in your blood. I've had my onc show me how my level was over 100 when I was on chemo, but fell back down to under 30 afterwards, and how it rose slightly to 41 right after I finished radiation, but fell back down again to 20 a month later.

If, after you've finished treatment and the test number has settled back down towards normal, they will only be concerned if it rises for three or four successive tests.

And yes, they look at it in context with the other tests that are done at the same time. 

jamcoman1179

my mom's ca27.29 has gone from 703.4 to 809.2 recently. she is about to start a chemo regimin with pertuzumab, trastuzumab and taxol. the triple threat for stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.