tumor marker fluctuation question (in normal range)

My tumor markers were up on my last round of blood work......went from 28 to 37.......but scan showed stable.

When I was first dx my markers were in the 60s.  After starting tamoxifen, xgeva and Lupron they slowly went down to the low 20s and stabalized.  Last February they were 29 and it made me nervous.  However the next scan was stable and subsequent markers have been back in the low 20s.  I hope this will be the case for you!

I am in the same boat with you,warrior24! Had my second after treatment follow up. My CEA markers are within normal but up since 3 mo ago. Dr told me she thinks I am fine and to reassure me she can repeat blood work in 1 month. I am very anxious even though it's a small change. From 1,3 to 1.

I just saw this thread and am in a similar situation. After a recurrence in 2015, My tumor markers (CA-15-3) while in the normal range, went up from 20 to 25 between 2 tests. My doctor insists that it was because it was because of a flu that came on the day after my blood draw. It would be very reaassuring to hear stories of tumor marker fluctuations within normal limits.

Proparent,

Your baseline was 174, one month later, on Ibrance, it went to 202, and a month after that it rose to 327. I see on your bio that you are on Faslodex as well? Faslodex takes up to six months to quell the cancer, and the wait can be quite hair-raising.

If my TMs were behaving like yours (and they have), my MO would order scans to see if the blood work is confirming progression. Quite often, when beginning a new therapy, we can get "tumor flare", where the tumor is dying and casting off dead cells, but the TM test just checks for cells, not whether they are alive or dead. The scans can see if the tumor is active - that's the SUV count on your imaging report.

You have so many therapies available to you, as you are just starting this party. As a bone only, ER+ patient, your quiver is full, so fear not. If this protocol turns out to be a non-starter, you have many other options.

If you are experiencing a level of anxiety that is impairing your quality of life, you can speak to your MO about getting some anti-anxiety meds. Many of us here have benefited from these medications. They can be long acting, like the SSRIs, or short acting, like a quick hit of Ativan to withstand a medical procedure. You will not be the first patient your MO has seen with anxiety - trust me.

The received wisdom on TMs is to 1) Make sure that they are diagnostic for you. That's just watching them over time and seeing if they correlate with your disease volume. Some patients' TMs don't budge, even though they have a high disease volume, and some patients' TMs get crazy high with little progression (I'm one of those). 2) Having determined that your TMs are "diagnostic", no MO is going to get worried at one bad result. They follow trends. Usually, two highly increased TMs in a row indicates that some action should be taken (no one worries about minor variations). Most of the time, it is to scan first, then to alter or change the protocol you are on, wait three months - while following TMs - and scan again. Until you are stable, you will probably be scanned every three months. My TMs have been as high as 3,000. Now they are in the low 20s, thanks to Halaven and CMF.

You also have the right to ask your MO what she thinks. You could call her right now! I've never been a fan of waiting in fear, and have made myself a bit troublesome every now and then to the patient and loving staff at my MO's office.

Let us know how you are doing. Managing cancer is no fun, and I'd have lost my mind if it weren't for the amazing ladies here.

Jennfier

Proparent,

Xeloda did great things for me. It's a pretty easy therapy, just make sure to keep your hands and feet moisturized to prevent the skin peeling that Xeloda can cause, especially in winter.

Sorry about the progression, but in Stage 4 land, we play whack-a-mole with the cancer. If you are in pain, is your MO good with making sure you have adequate medication?

Jennifer

PP,

Hoping that the Xeloda does well for you. I loved the stuff. In fact, I am kind of revisiting it, as I am on the CMF protocol, which was the infused version of Xeloda, and am getting a good response.