Rising Tumor Markers

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Partyoffive
Partyoffive Member Posts: 188
edited May 2019 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

hi everyone-I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced what I’ve been dealing with. Background diagnosed stage 4 with multiple bone mets very heavy ErPr+ I was put on Tamoxifen and did participate in an immunotherapy vaccine trial I’ve been stable since diagnosis with tumor markers in the teens to low twenties. In October tm’s jumped to 35 big jump but still normal so we were just watching in Dec they were 55 and onc decided to do PET scan(previously only had ct’s and bone scan) PET showed no active disease. On to last week tm’s now 65 and had an appt with onc who did physical exam and thought he felt a palpable node ultra sound next day and no enlarged node detected so decision was made to redo the PET next week. Can it take months before a new met is detected? Has this happened to anyone else?

I know no one here is a dr was just looking for similar experiences-also in the same time frame my tumor markers have been rising I was diagnosed with arthritis not sure if that has anything to do with it my onc doesn’t seem to think so.

Thank you for any info


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  • Husband11
    Husband11 Member Posts: 2,264
    edited March 2019

    Which tumor marker or markers are rising? There are some tumor markers such as CEA & CA 15-3 which can be elevated in both cancer and benign diseases such as liver disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, inflammatory bowel and others.

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  • Partyoffive
    Partyoffive Member Posts: 188
    edited March 2019

    so sorry that’s missing from my post it’s the ca 27/29


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  • Lynnwood1960
    Lynnwood1960 Member Posts: 1,284
    edited March 2019

    My CA27/29 has tripled in the last year and a half, currently at 131. I’ve had a bone scan, an abdominal MRI, and at least 6 ct scans of the chest abdomen and pelvis. All is stable and bone scan even shows marked improvement. My onc says she is scratching her head but that scans always trump tumor markers so we are staying the course on Ibrance/Letrazole/Xgeva. Next month I will be on this for 4 years for extensive widespread bone mets.

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  • Partyoffive
    Partyoffive Member Posts: 188
    edited March 2019

    Lynwood-thanks so much and since I’ve had such a good long run on Tamoxifen that’s what I’m hoping is happening. So frustrating to ride this roller coaster of emotions.

    Kristin

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  • marianelizabeth
    marianelizabeth Member Posts: 1,735
    edited April 2019

    I have been posting in the only other site I have seen that refers to tumour markers:

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/105/topic...

    I only noticed this morning that it is not specifically in reference to stage IV though it seems to be mainly stage IV patients posting. The tumour markers that that I have done are CA15-4 and mine have been normal for over a year and the last two have gone to 33 and then 41.5. My MO is not concerned and the next one (I have them done once every cycle. Paclitaxel low dose 3 weeks in a row with a week off.

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  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited April 2019

    Kristin, scans of course trump TMs. But. One explanation is that you have more sub-clinical disease. In other words there are more cancer cells floating around but they haven't organized themselves into large enough lesions that the PET scan sees it.

    Or it could be that for you the CA27/29 is not predictive. That does happen a lot. Doesn't work for all women.

    I'd tell you to relax and wait and see, but I know that's hard. Time will tell what TMs mean for you.

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  • SandiBeach57
    SandiBeach57 Member Posts: 1,617
    edited April 2019

    Hi Partyof5. Did you ever figure out what caused your increased tumor marker?

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  • Partyoffive
    Partyoffive Member Posts: 188
    edited April 2019

    pajim and sandibeach-thanks for your replies. Since I’ve posted I’ve had yet another pet scan that showed what the drs thought was an active lymph node in my chest-I had a broncoscopy with a biopsy which came back benign so back to square one. Everything else on the pet was considered inactive(many bone tumors that have showed up on bone scans were not lit at all) so I’m left with a decision to switch meds to a 2nd line oral chemo/hormonal combo or stay the course with Tamoxifen which I’ve been on for almost 6 years) my tm’s have been normal until this past fall when they started creeping up And last month were at 65 And in that time period over had 3 cat scans 2 pet scans and 2 biopsies all indicating no progression. I’m having tm’s repeated in two weeks and will make decision about meds. On a side note I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis but besides that’s I feel great. Thanks for any response

    Kristin

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  • SandiBeach57
    SandiBeach57 Member Posts: 1,617
    edited April 2019

    Thanks PartyofFive. My MO told me that she wants to keep me on current treatment for as long as possible. She will continue to monitor my CA 15.3 and will be concerned if drastic levels are changed. Also until she has the scans and labs to prove it, she wants longevity on Ibrance/Letrozole.

    My last CT/bone scan showed a healed rib fracture. My MO suspects it was from coughing when I had a bad URI in January. The Radiologists did not feel it was a healing bone mets. Never knew it..must have high pain tolerance.

    I will have TM checked in a few weeks. I have decided to try to things on my own before bloodwork..an experiment.

    1. make sure I am hydrated

    2. lay off the peanut MMs and wine the night before labs

    3. stop any high carbs the day before

    4. stop exercise 24 hours before labs

    5. take advil for the ache in knees (thanks to letrozole) the night before morning labs

    Basically, I want to see if inflammation from exercise, joint ache and foods (refined carbs) can increase my CA 15.3

    Will keep you posted with next month labs. I will be my own guinea pig!

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  • Partyoffive
    Partyoffive Member Posts: 188
    edited April 2019

    sandi-thanks for those ideas about experimenting. I work out almost every day and am never properly hydrated. I hate to confess that I have a Pepsi addiction and I know people will cringe but I drink it every day. I’ve actaully joked that maybe the chemicals from the Pepsi have kept my cancer in check as the cancer cells are probably afraid to circulate further with all the Pepsi in my body. My labs and sugar levels are always normal but im going to see if laying off the soda for a few days and not working out doesn’t anything to my tumor markers. Letme know how your labs turn out.

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  • gailmary
    gailmary Member Posts: 332
    edited April 2019

    partyof5

    Not me but a friend had tumor markers rising like yours. Multiple scans didnt show anything at first. Then finally. A new tumor in liver. Then i read somewhere that you shouldnt scan too soon or nothing new will show. Oh and American drs put too much trust in tumor markers. The markers rising indicated the cells are on the move. Stinks doesn't it? Good luck

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  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited April 2019

    Partyof5 of the scans are fine no need to switch treatment. I'm of the firm belief that you don't want to switch treatments unless and until you really have to. It seems to me that the folks who switch at the drop of a hat run out of options way too soon.

    There are legitimate reasons to switch but I once asked my MO his criteria. They were (1) adverse event, (2) something bad is going to happen. Fracture or the like. In other words a bad scan.

    We once went a full year after a PET scan went from nothing to "something". That something didn't get worse so we waited until it did.

    I do want to say here that not all MBC ladies or their would doctors agree with me. Another school of thought says that if you let the cancer get too bad it'll be harder for the next treatment to squash it. [I haven't had that problem ever but I can see the point]


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  • Partyoffive
    Partyoffive Member Posts: 188
    edited April 2019

    pajim:I have the same belief that u have. I don’t want to move onto another med when by all accounts I’m stable. I totally understand the concept that the cancer may be on the move but it’s too early to find the new tumor. It’s been since October and at the last scan a month ago we thought we had found the culprit in the lymph node in my chest-I have to say even after I saw it with my own eyes I had a fitnesses instinct I was still stable but agreed to a broncoscopy And biopsy but the node was benign as well as one they biopsied a few months ago so at Thisbe point I’m going to stay on the Tamoxifen. I honestly wouldn’t have a problem moving to the post-menopausal hormone but to add the palciclbid at this point is not something I’m willing to do. I have a 2nd opinion lined up next week and repeat markers in two weeks and will go from there. I’ve had 6 years(relatively easy) on Tamoxifen and want to make sure I’ve actually had a progression.


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  • sbaaronson
    sbaaronson Member Posts: 230
    edited May 2019

    Relatively new to this, 8 years after being treated it returned in my lung, one of my cervical vertebrae and several lymph nodes in my chest. I am on Faslodex and Ibrance _about 8 months now- tumor markers have kept rising since I started the treatment. They did decline after they removed the nodule from my lung. CT scan showed the lymph nodes in the chest shrinking, C6 may have grown a bit. Having a PET scan on Monday. I had high hopes for the Ibrance... I am so disappointed and afraid of what life will be on the next round of drugs, I am doing so well on these.

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  • SandiBeach57
    SandiBeach57 Member Posts: 1,617
    edited May 2019

    Today I had my CA 15.3 tumor marker drawn. My MO only uses it as a guide to monitor trends. My CA 15.3 fluctuates, but for me, it is a reliable test for my cancer. This is not true for everyone.

    Last month, it was higher than usual (51). Usually runs average 40. I felt fine, so suspecting inflammation- overworking my knees lately.

    So..yesterday, I stopped my Vitamin B complex, no exercise, no foods with wheat, no refined sugars, no wine and added Advil for my knees.

    The CA 15.3 dropped back to my low range (37). So suspecting inflammation causing a jump for me that is not cancer related.

    That concludes my experiment!

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  • Imagine
    Imagine Member Posts: 165
    edited May 2019

    Rheumatoid Arthritis can cause elevated tumor markers

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