Tumor Markers

Options
Livnonhope
Livnonhope Member Posts: 10
edited September 2016 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

I was wondering if anyone can give me their in site on how they came to find out their tumor markers correlated with progression? What made your doctor say we can use this marker to help determineyour cancer activity?

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited September 2016

    Hi Livnonhope, for me it was experience. I expect that's true for most women. You measure the markers, and do the scans, and over time (for me three years) you figure out that the scans correlated with markers. Not 100% but to a certain degree.

    Some women's tumors do not express CEA or CA 27.29. Mine don't express CEA at all. its always been in the normal range.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JCNC
    JCNC Member Posts: 17
    edited September 2016

    Hi. I realize Tumor markers are not the only way to determine progression , stability , or outcome but if you are regularly in the range (below 36 I believe) is that as good a reason to think , if any, that the mets are stable?

    If they do progress then will the Onc go back to the previous regular treatments, or will they go with different or other treatments ? I'm about 4 months into weekly taxol (Abraxane) with h & p every 3 weeks and if I am stable I wonder what might happen down the road. I have 2 months left before they re-evaluate and think about a chemo break.

    Initial Tumor makers were 70 , then up to 111 after 2 weeks of treatment , then down to 20, 13, and now 10.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cive
    cive Member Posts: 709
    edited September 2016

    My ca.2729 has gone down 80% just taking femara. It went up slightly last month, but there are other reasons that might be true other than femara has stopped working.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 1,461
    edited September 2016

    My tumor markers were determined to be spot on by that when my markers go up, and they scan me, there is always something there. Then when I get NED, my markers are in normal range. I think they can tell pretty quickly if they can rely on them.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories