Tumor markers

Hi Love4,

They say tumor markers are notoriously unreliable. How far outside the quote-unquote normal range are your numbers? Without looking at my blood work, I can't remember. My feeling is, and has always been, that I (we) have to co-exist with this situation (mentally, emotionally and physically), it is the job of our medical team to help us do so. You don't say if you have talked to your MO about it. If it is bothering you, let him/her know it.

Take care,

Stacey

Something I was told by my onc when I was worried is that the test can show inflammation in the body from another cause as well. For me it was indicating I was actually having an allergic reaction to the Femara.

I like the idea that he will repeat in 1 month not three. As long as you are in the normal range, insurance might not cover the scan. I hope they stay in range for you.

They are probably checking your tumor markers and you may not know it.  do they take bloodwork when u go to dr. ?  I didn't know anything about mine till they went sky high.  Insurance denied PET scan.  Even thought I have had breast cancer twice and my counts are high they said it is not medically necessary--unbelievable.  I am so sick of the insurance nightmare.  I am going for a ct of the chest, abdaman and bladder Thursday.  It is very hard not to stress.  This is a stressful disease.

Betty

From what I understand they are used for treatment options or recurrence.  In my case it will be recurrence as I have been cancer free for 3 years.  I am not sure what they are called exactly as I was so nervous.  I plan to find out though.  They were not listed on the copy of the bloodwork I was given so I guess it takes longer to analyze as they give me my copy theat same day as my visit.  I was praying mine would go down but it has not happened.  I have read that some people have high counts and they don't know why.

Whenever I see something about tumor markers I read it and usually post....it is something near and dear to my heart and I started a thread a long time ago, How high is high for a CA 27/29?   The CA 27.29 is what we refer to as tumor markers and it is true not all oncologists even do the test because it is not an accurate indicator....at least not when it is the only test done....they usually factor in a lot of other tests before actually making a diagnosis or treatment decision.  My onco does do tumor markers and in my case, they have been quite accurate.....although there have been times when they went up and the scans did not show any change in the tumors or any new progressing.  Also with the chemo I am currently on, even though my tumor markers went down a lot within the lst two months, the scans did not show any change....good in my case since the tumors did not get any larger and they had been.  My highest was in December when they were 7,668......yes, that is not a typo, 7 thousand.......now after doing this chemo since Dec. 2011, they are down to 325 so I am hoping that when we next do scans, there will be a significant change for the better.   I used to have a cell search done which I think is the CEA, but my insurance will not pay for it so we discontinued it.  The LDH, I am pretty sure is your liver function....or maybe that's cholesterol, but don't know if that would make any sense.   Each time I go for treatment they do a CBC ( I think that's what it is called)  which shows what my white count is, my hematocrite, hemoglobin, red blood cells,platlets, etc.....they always show the results to the onco so he can give the go ahead for treatment if everything is normal.  Then every few weeks they also do a complete blood panel which shows my liver function, potassium level, etc.....we have been doing the CA 27.29 about once a month.    That's all I know.....have been doing this for a long time, but still am learning myself.  

I think it is normal for us to worry when numbers go up, but if my tumor markers were 37, I think I would be out dancing in the street....there again it is all relative and right now I am just really thankful we have gotten then down to the hundreds.   I wish you all the very best.     Marybe

When my old onc used to run the tumor marker tests (ca 27-29) the results never showed up in the reports I could access online.  They were blocked from the patient and only went to the doctor.  I could, though, go to the medical records department and request them.  My new onc does not run them unless the patient already has mets.  He believes they are an unnecessary source of stress (and also not reliable for everyone).  I will admit, now that I don't have them done anymore, I don't have to stress out waiting for the results and worrying if they had gone up a few points.

I'm kinda in the same boat.  I went for six month bloodwork and my CEA's were 2.8.  Normal is up to 2.5.  So my doctor wants scans - since I'm not on tamoxifen (have a blood clotting disorder so I cannot take it) and it's been 2 yrs since I had a scan.  My breast cancer markers were normal, but as we know that means nothing. 

I am so scared. I can't stop crying today.  I just did not expect this when I got up this morning - i went for the bloodwork and literally forgot about it.   

What is a CA 15-3? Is that a tumor marker? I'm due to go in for blood work this week. I see that on the paperwork. I haven't had any treatments besides lumpectomy. Thanks!

Good news Love4!

My TM went down too - 14 pts to 61.  It's still over the reference range limit of 45 but I'm hoping that it will continue to decrease.

I saw my MO on Thursday and he confirmed that my TM has gone down 14 pts but he has no explanation for the rise or fall.  Actually he said "if I had given you chemo and the TM went down 14 pts I could have said "see the chemo is working""  so he's puzzled except to blame possible inflammation as the cause.

He did give me a monthly standing order for bloodwork (for the next 2 years) and will see what happens next month.  If there is an increase again the ONC will order a PET scan.  If it continues to decline after a few months then we will go back to 6 month visits and bloodwork.  

My ONC tells me that the highest TM CA 15-3 test results he's seen have been in the tens of thousands (I have to question why the reference range limit is >45).  So he isn't really concerned with my increases - at this point.  He also tells me that some women bounce around a lot and it's just the way it is. 

I know it's hard when you get back weird test results but in my case I'm not going to worry about.  I'm pleased that my ONC is monitoring me and he isn't concerned so I'm not going to be unless I have reason to.

Marie

Hi All!

Just wanted to add an update in case anyone is still following but also if anyone else is in the same boat as me.

Since I last posted my tumour markers went up (Sept 75/45 Oct 61/45) and up (Dec 86/45) and so the MO scheduled me for a PET scan in Jan.  

The PET showed uptake for tumour on my right femur but the drs were still not convinced it was actually BC.

I had more blood work in January just before the scheduled PET scan and the CA 15-3 marker had gone down (17/23) but the test had been recalibrated at the lab - other than that there really wasn't an explanation as to why it would go down.

In Feb I had another blood work up and the test showed an increase (21/23) but still under the limit so the MO ordered a hip MRI to see what was happening.  

I had more blood work done in March and the results were 19/23.  Then I had another PET on April 26 (still showed uptake but no progression) and finally a CT guided biopsy on June 3 which confirmed a BC met in my femur.

So I was referred back to my original RO again for radiation.  I had 10 rounds in July but just before I started I had blood work done and the CA 15-3 was out of range at 27/23.

I wanted to see what would happen after radiation and sure enough it's gone down again to 17/23.

So I would assume that the radiation helped but why did the CA 15-3 show a decrease Jan without my doing anything?

I've read that this test is unreliable and shouldn't be used for screening but in my case it did alert my MO that something was going on and further testing/treatment was needed.

I have no idea why my tumour marker goes up and down but I see the MO today for a follow up and we'll see what he has to say about it.

Wonderful news!