CA 27-29 and CA 125

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bottkota
bottkota Member Posts: 285
edited June 2014 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

I had a bone scan yesterday to figure out a pain that I am having in my breastbone area, haven't gotten the results back but am concerned that my cancer has recurred.  They did a CA 27-29 blood test on me yesterday also and those results can back as 94 (normal I was told is between 0-37) should I be freaking out?  They haven't been doing that CA 27-29 test at each onc appointment and I see him every 6 months.  I was diagnosed in April of 2005 and have had no problems since chemo ended in 9/05 until now.  I am in a study program for my ovaries (I have a STRONG family history and have tested positive for both BRCA 1 & 2 genes) and my CA 125 blood test came back @ 131.7, 3 months ago the test was 37, I had an ultrasound done and it was clear.  I have another ultrasound on Friday and am really not concerned about the CA 125, but am FREAKING out about the CA 27-29.  Any advice you can give me would be great.  I really really don't want to go through this again.  What does a PET scan entail?  The CNP that I talked to last night said that the tumor markers was not an indication that my cancer had come back, that they would have to do a CT scan or a PET scan to rule that out.  Is a PET scan better than a CT scan?  She needed to discuss this with my oncolgist and get back to me.  Almost 3pm and I haven't heard from them, no nows is good news right?????

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  • americanpinay
    americanpinay Member Posts: 338
    edited October 2009

    Hi,

    I'm doing the process in reverse order.  I had a PET/CT three weeks ago. Nothing to eat the night before the test. They check your blood sugar before they do the test. They inject you with the "nuclear sugar" to obtain PET images. Supposedly, cancer cells loves sugar so they would "light up" cancerous areas. Also supposedly, sometimes areas would "light up" due to benign conditions. Anyway, they noted a non-hypermetabolic 4mm sclerotic focus on my T1 vertebrae so my onc ordered a bone scan and an MRI.  I guess the sclerotic focus did not show on the PET images but showed up on the CAT scan. Perhaps you can ask your doctor to do PET/CT together instead of one or the other.

    Wish you the best.  Take care.

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  • mkl48
    mkl48 Member Posts: 350
    edited October 2009

    So what did the results mean?? It is hard to understand when tests are different. Are all sclerotic places cancer mets??Ruth Really am asking for a friend

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  • americanpinay
    americanpinay Member Posts: 338
    edited October 2009

    Ruth,

    The results were inconclusive...the sclerotic focus could be a bone island or metastasis...hopefully, mine turns out to be bone island or something else other than cancer (it wasn't hypermetabolic so that's a good thing)...I'm scheduled for a bone scan this week...

    BTW...if I may say...I HATE HATE HATE scans...or any BC test for that matter...three mammos and an ultrasound missed my lump...my fine needle and core needle biopsies were both inconclusive..

    Thanks.

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