Breast cancer tumor markers?

kdholt

Hi ladies! Hope you can help. I am 15 mths out from surgery, rads, and am on tamox. At my last appt. my onc. drew blood for a tumor marker. He has never done this before so I freaked a little.He said it was just to get a baseline and that they watch it for trends-does it go up, down, stay the same. Any way I got my results yesterday. It came back at 31 (0-38 is considered normal). What does this mean? And how relialble is this test. I don't like that it came back at 31, 15 would have been nicer in my mind. Is it worrisome that it came back at 31 or should I not really get hung up on that number? Are there other things that can affect this number like ovarian cysts maybe? Anyone have some experience in this area? I'd love to hear from you.

Debbie

NancyD

Everyone has their own normal within the range given. Yours is 31...that's OK, it's just "your" normal. I don't know if other things can effect the number at test time. I guess it depends on which test is being given, and the protein marker it is looking for.

kdholt

bump

auriga

In my own case, I don't think the test is very reliable at all. When I had my tumor, my tumor marker test was a 15. After a mastectomy, it rose to a 17. The whole thing just confuses me.

AmyIsStrong

I asked my doctor about this test (is it the same thing as the CA-125 tumor marker test?). He said that  the test provides too many false negatives AND false positives and is 'not ready for the big time' and he does not use it.   That is just his opinion, I guess. He says the most reliable source of info on recurrance is the women themselves, that it has been statistically proven to reveal more problems than any blood work, PET scan, bone scan etc.   He says when we finish active treatment, I will have mammograms 2x year and that's all. I am not to that point yet but the idea of being out there with just my own instincts to guide me is a little intimidating. It will be hard to balance listening to your body without becoming obsessive about it.

Hope this helps.

kdholt

No it was not the CA125 it was a different marker. Not sure which one.

thegoodfight

The CA125 is a blood test for ovarian cancer and is not reliable.  That should be done in conjunction with a transvaginal ultrasound

everyminute

ca27-29

Anonymous

  Right, it's a CA 27-My onco also says it is not reliable and can be affected by many things, infection, stress, medications, but he used to do it about every two weeks so he must think it shows something. Now I only get it maybe once a month if that....last time I requested it and it was 87.  That probably sounds high to you, but mine were all the way up to 300 something so I think 87 was pretty good.  Since being diagnosed the lowest mine have been was 17.  Once they were up in the 700's.  I like to have it done because even if it isn't totally reliable it sort of gives you some indication of what is going on.