Tumour Markers-Yes or No

Nope.

Useless and unreliable just about sums it up-well said Sherri!

I wonder that too, Jen.  I'm seeing my onc on the 17th and I was going to ask him about the tumor markers.

Barb

I just asked my onc at my last visit...2 weeks ago, if I was having tumor markers tested. He said yes...since July 2008! lol.

Ok.  I had NO idea! I was never nervous about getting bloodwork taken every 3 months, but now I am. Go figure. Maybe its because now I know they are checking..

Anyways, I also had my yearly bloodwork with my GP in January. Cholesterol, Vitamin D all that stuff....AND...yup...tumor markers! Again.

Everything was well within below normal range and I actually felt a sense of relief knowing all this.

I have seen many times woman on the boards saying their oncs do not run these tests for various reasons. Thats ok, its what their docs believe there is no right or wrong. Does this mean that the tumor marker tests are NOT reliable for everyone? NO.

 I have seen on various BC boards and in real life who have had their tumor markers rise and then rechecked. Only to rise again and then scans followed. The end result being mets.

Again...this is my observations.

My onc doesn't scan with out symptoms and I am fine with that. I dont want any more radiation anyways.

I think for the first 2 yrs maybe to do the tumor markers if thats what your onc is suggesting. Then after that, maybe you can re disguss with your onc about doing them. I do think a baseline is good though, especially if you havent had your TM's checked before.

Regular blood work reveals alot. Your sed rate tells about any inflammation going on in your body. There are numerous reasons for it to be elevated but if you have BC that's a red flag. Also, calcium levels elevate when cancer is active. Alkaline Phosphatase is another part of a BMP that if elevated is red flags for bone mets. If you are more anemic than usual a tumor could be vascularizing and sucking up all your blood. These are some of the tests they can use to see if you have mets... without doing scans.

  Pure,  it is true that tumor markers, CA27/29, are not always reliable and my onco says he would not make a decision on them alone....he takes other tests into consideration also, cell search,MRI, Scans, tests where he can actually see if something is going on.  HOWEVER, and this is a very big however....tumor markers have always been very reliable in my case.  They were what indicated something was off when it was first discovered my breast cancer had recurred....if my original onco had done this test we would have investigated with more tests and scans and discovered my cancer before it had gone to Stage lV.  When I was on aromasin and it was working and I was in remission, my CA 27/29 went all the way down to 18 from the 500's....not overnight of course, but each month the numbers went down.  When they would go up, we'd do scans again even if it was early and sure enough there would be a new area or the tumors already there would have increased in number and size.  So for me it is an accurate test and over the years I always wanted it done at  every month becuase I am the kind of person who likes to know what it going on.  Again, it is not an accurate test for everyone, but for me it is and it's a very simple test, just a little tube of blood.  It is almost a definite the medication I am trying now is not working since they ran the CA 27/29 last week and the markers have gone up 200 since just the end of Dec.  Until I have new scans done, this is not a certainty, but believe me this increase is enough to have me worried about what treatment we are going to be moving on to.  I think whether you have them or not is a decision you and your doctor should make.  All I can do is tell you about my experience with them in the last 12 years.

For some women they are not very reliable; for others they are. Mine have been pretty consistent, so my onc does them every month just for my peace of mind.

I have mets in my spine, but of course not every backache a 50-year-old gets is from mets, so when my back's been bothering me, it's reassuring to get that monthly blood test and see that CA 27-29 number stay flat.

I would say do them if you find them reassuring and reliable, and don't do them if you find them stressful or unreliable.

My onc does tumor markers, but he does not do any scans unless patient is symptomatic or requests them.  I used to stress waiting for the tumor marker results, but haven't in a few visits...they now mail them unless not good news....before it was always a phone call....I think that has helped me decrease my stress level about results.....but I just don't like going anymore....I am still on a 3 month schedule 4 years later....I have an appt with onc on the 15th and part of me wants to skip it....I am also due to see BS, but haven't made the appt......In all there does not seem to be one standard protocol for follow up....

Well said Elaine.

My oncologist does not do tumor markers either & like Pure it drives me crazy.  I have a question which I hope is not too stupid but have to ask it.  Is it possible to have mets for years without any symptoms?  If you don't have symptoms can we assume that the mets are very small?  The oncologists are really counting on us reporting things and their decision on not doing any tests just adds more worry to me .  I have been told vary vaguely any new symptom that is persistent to advise them of.   Maybe it is partly due to me being misdiagnosed in the first place.  Sorry ladies but this is something I know I need to stop obsessing about but I need answers which I have failed to get anywhere in order to do this.

I am counting on the worry to decrease the longer that I am out of treatment.  My worry has decreased somewhat whenever I get an ache or a pain or a cold.

Pure, I have never had a blood test for tumor markers and I'm not sure I want them. Life is stressful enough without waiting for a test every 3 months. Since chemo I have only been in to see an oncologist about 3 times I think. I do want to change doctors in case something does come up in the future but as far as tests, I am with everyone else just live your life. Don't let cancer take over you life, you have given it enough of your time. It will get better sweetheart and it will become a bad memory. Hug and kiss those babies until your lips are sore, look into their eyes and see whats really important in life. None of us can predict the future but we can live for today.

Endure

If I can endure for this moment,
whatever is happening to me.
No matter how heavy my heart,
or how dark the moment may be.
If I can but keep on believing,
what I know in my heart to be true.
Then darkness will fade into morning,
and with this dawn a new day, too.

~ Bobi~

My Oncologist does do tumor marker test about every 6 mos. She says she doesnt put too much faith in it though. I do agree that at some point that you have to let go of the fear, but I think that is very difficult to do. To answer Beverly11, yes you can have mets and have no symptoms. I am a CT tech and I cant tell you how many times we find mets on incidental findings. We were actually scanning for another reason. That is the part that is really scary to me because I have seen it be very advanced before it was caught. I know they say it does not make a difference as far as survival time but I personally find that hard to believe.

My tumor markers came back as normal while I was having a recurrence.

I think once I'm done with treatment and scans and what not, then I'll work on not worrying.  I have enough on my plate right now to work on and besides, I think part of the process of getting to be at peach with it is actually letting yourself work through the terrible thoughts - not denying that these things can happen.  Man, oh man, did I emotionally crash after the PET scan with the scare of the spot on my liver.  Of course we are going to obsess over trying to figure out a way to beat this, or at least catch something else as early as possible.  I still haven't found out what's going on with my liver (still have one more chemo to do before I can), but I'm already in such a better place and I know it's because I finally just let myself kinda "go there" and where can you go from "there" but up, right?  I'm still filled with fear but at least I have realized that I'm doing what I can do and there isn't any reason to worry about the rest.

Having said that, it's funny - I just asked my onc about this two weeks ago, too.  He also said he's been doing them and I didn't know.  Since I asked, he said they don't do them every time because the results don't change that quickly.  The last time they did them was in Feb. and that they were slightly elevated:/  I feel like Nancy, I won't ask again.  I know he's checking them, so if there's something to worry about he'll bring it up to me.  I swear, every time I think I have something to doubt about him, he's on it and I didn't even know.  I like that, it makes me feel secure.  At the same time though, because I have a lot of confidence in him, his attitude toward this spot has really got me down.  3 more weeks and I should know something...