tumor markers

kshammond1

Have any of your doctors told you what factors can make tumor markers go up other than cancer? Can't find much info online but nurse always says it can be a 'variety' of things.

Thank you!

carpe_diem

"Endometriosis, ovarian cysts, first-trimester pregnancy, benign breast disease, and kidney and liver disease are just some of the noncancerous conditions that can raise your CA 27.29 level."

I found this in a footnote of the article on CA 27.29 on Dr. Susan Love's website http://www.dslrf.org/breastcancer/content.asp

My mo in Texas measured CA 27.29 and CA 15-3 and while they came down at first (from 188 to about 50), they bounced around after that from 40 to 75 without any progression showing on scans. Some people never have elevated tumor markers, while others seem to show progression sooner than it shows up on scans.

I recently moved to New York, and my new mo doesn't think tumor markers are useful. He also feels that once mets are diagnosed, CT scans are better for following them than PET/CT. I know that this is the recommended method, but my mets were not diagnosed until they lit up on a PET/CT. I'd like to hear how others are monitored and what seems to give the best indication of progression.

exbrnxgrl

My mo does not use tumor markers. I am monitored by PETS.

SonnyB

I have my markers done every 6 weeks. They went down (60s to 20s) within the first four months of treatment and then to the teens after a ooph. I don't yet know if they will indicate progression accurately as I thankfully haven't had any yet. The first year I alternated btw PETs and bone scans every three months but now am just doing a PET about every 8 months.

SuperFoob

I get tumour markers (CA 27.29, CA 15-3, CTC) every two months and was getting a PET/CT every six months.

My markers are stable, so as of my last doc visit this month, I will only get a PET/CT once next year unless my TM's go up or I get symptoms (my boogers are in my liver).

When I was first dx'd, my CA 27.29 was 1689. So I know that they "work" for me.

Tina72

My tumor markers jump around a lot. They go from 800 to 400 to 1000 within a month. My onc does not use them as a tool for me. I do have ureter stents that may affect them since I have a constant uti. My scans are clear.

Irishbrat

My markers have always been in the "normal" range - even at my highest levels of progression.  My Onc uses PET/CT scans - because that is what shows up the most accurate information for me. 

 

chrissyb

My markers haven't moved in almost ten years so I told my doc at the last visit to quit doing them. Monitoring is done if I complain of a pain or other symptom and its usually CT and bone scan. So far so good.

AnacortesGirl

I can't get the link that carpe_diem inserted to open so I don't know if this is redundant or not. I've also been told that irritable bowels can affect the markers along with arthritis flares. Also infections. I've been given the impression that the list of potential reasons for TMs to be higher than normal is fairly long and it is unique to each person. If the markers go up, the only way to tell if it is due to cancer or not is through scans.

diana50

my markers were stable and below normal for 10 and half years. when they doubled to 66...85...110.Pet scan found spinal met. marker seemed accurate for me. after rads and starting letrozole and monthly zometa the markers dropped to 40. in june, the marker jumped to 70; had pet/ct scan and it was clear. however, since june my markers have jumped to 157 and i don't know what they were last month. (i get markers every month with zometa)

now, here is the other part of this story. i had a bacterial infection in the bottom of my foot for 9 months; it really festered and i ended up in the hospital with two surgeries on my foot and IV antibiodics. and then two more weeks of oral antibiodics. this is when the marker jumped...last july, august and sept.... i asked my doc about it..she said "we don't know for sure how infections...etc. can affect markers...but very possible" i will be interested to see if the markers come back down...as my foot is now fairly healed up... i will have a Pet/ct scan either dec or jan. i have kinda gotten away from watching blood work; i pretty much go by how i am feeling.

you just never know i guess. my onc won't change treatment unless she sees reason to because of a scan. that is about it. however, when i was initially diagnosed with spine met; it was because of elevated ca27.29 go figure.

Bestbird

If a new treatment is working, it can cause a substantial volume of dead cancer cells to hit the bloodstream, causing a spike in TMs called "tumor flare."

justjudie

My onc uses the CA 15-3 test. It seems to be very accurate for me. it starts rising before any difference can be seen on a Pet or a CAT Scan. About 4 or 5 months ago I had a 2000 tumor marker. That is the highest it had ever been, Then I began to take Halaven as my chemo. After the first month it came down about 700 points, I was astounded (think onc was too lol) as I have never had such a huge and fast drop on any chemo before. Since tumor marker test has always been accurate for me I continue to believe that when it is rising I will see progression soon, and that does always seem to be the case. If it is remaining pretty much the same, then I will probably see that it is stable. Anyway, my onc does a tumor marker blood test once a month. Then he does a Pet Scan every four or five months. Hope that helps to answer your question. if you have any additional questions please feel free to PM me.

208sandy

My onc monitors my TMs but I have CT scan every three months, my progression was found by biopsy.

Nel138281

My tumor markers are not reliable at all. My onc uses CT scan and my mention of symptoms.

Be well

Nel

letmywifelive

Hi All,

Not sure if this thread is still active but hoping for a response anyways. My wife's last set of scan results (CT and Bone) taken in October 2016 showed signs of stable / healing disease. Her blood work is normal too (CBC + Metabolic panel) including liver functions and Alkaline Phosphate (which by the way is steadily falling ad well within normal range now).

However, at the same time her CA 27.29 has been creeping up slowly. It went from 151 in September to 165 in October to 175 in November and 200 in December (all in 2016). When she was diagnosed back in late February, the number was 995 and then gradually declining until the recent rise. She has no pain anywhere (was in severe pain when diagnosed) for a long time now and no issues overall (feeling fine).

Her Onc @ Stanford discounted the 27.29 numbers telling since every other result and physical symptoms are fine, and said we should not worry about it.

Can you please suggest what you think ?

cive

Similar to SuperFoob above, initially my ca.27.29 was over 1100. After 10 mos. on letrozole they went down to 190. Now they vary between just below 200 to about 250. I was getting tumor markers every month and CT (dye contrast) scans every 6 months. Since the ca.29 have been stable right around 200, my MO has changed the blood work to every other month and CT scans to every year. Stable TMs aren't exactly the same thing every time, they just varying around a value similar to an E to the x growth curve that becomes asymptotic.

ShetlandPony

Whoa, Cive, would you explain that last line of your post?

letmywifelive

Thanks give. Although i did understand the last line clearly but seems that TM numbers can go up slightly over time.

LvinAZ44

hi all. I have had normal markers for 5 months just found out today they went to 74. Ugh. Last 2 scans, done every 3 months were clear. Now I'm freaking out!! What else can make markers rise. A cold! NyQuil or Motrin? I'm getting another scan friday. I'm sooo scared.

cive

Shetland:  If you were to plot your tumor markers on graph paper you would get a curve that is fairly steep at first and would then become almost a flat line assuming you are responding to treatment.  E is the natural log which is approximately equivalent to 2.78. 

E to the x is that number (2.78.....) raised to the power of x and describes curves , similar to half lives of drugs, carbon 14 dating, etc..