Cancer markers (chemo, treatment, blood, tumor)

[mvintar]

I wondered what these were and I found the following:

Tumor Markers - National Cancer Institute

Tumor Markers

Sounds like I would do well to ask not just what the recent ones are, but the history of them since my first diagnosis.

[chele123]

You may not have had any tumor markers done yet. I did not until after completing my treatment. They are not reliable for everyone, I'm one of the lucky ones because so far it has been for me.

[toosie]

Thanks, Mvintar. I just finished the mechanical part of my treatments for early stage breast cancer. I've had a couple of these tests already to help determine ongoing medical treatment. I'll be going for genetic counseling also and some of the other tests listed are a possibility. That first link is a good, concise resource for an overview.

[mvintar]

From the very first CT scan the doctor has mentioned that my cancer markers are low. I requested my lab work be sent to me. Whether it will be or not is anyone's guess.

What is "low" and what is "high," I wonder, in terms of the numbers?

[christina0001]

I'm no expert but this is my understanding. I know some of the women at a different site I go to, who are stage IV, have numbers well into the hundreds (500, 600, etc.). I'm under the impression that fluctuations are not necessarily meaningful unless they are huge (i.e. the numbers are doubling). I've seen mine checked so far and mine were around 60 at its highest so far. My onc told me not to worry about my marker number, because, at least for me, it is expected to go up as the chemo does its work. He said the chemo killing the cancer cells makes the cells release their marker, so the number goes up, even though actually I am getting better, not worse.
I hope that helps but take what I say with a grain of salt because like I said, I am not an expert and this stuff is confusing!

[chele123]

I have the CA27.29 done. Anything under 38.6 is normal. Following my initial treatment for stage IIb breast cancer I was in the normal range. When it jumped to 341 we knew something was up. A CT verified, MRI confirmed that my cancer had progressed to my spine and sternum. With the failure of my first chemo my TM raised to 600ish and my mets spread to more vertebre, with the failure of my second chemo my TM rose to 1008 and my mets spread to more vertebra, my pelvis and my femurs. Confirmed with MRI's. Now I'm on my third chemo, my TM has gone down to 227, my symptoms (what little I had) are subsiding, so we haven't bothered to confirm with (expensive) scans.

I hang out on a stage IV forum, and I've seen people with barely elevated TM's with extensive mets. TM's are a tool, but do not let yourself get to paranoid about them.

As for lab work, request your results directly from the lab when they draw your blood. You have the right to your results.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Thanks for the links. My ex-hisband has just told the children that he has some type of lymphoma, my daughter remembers it as "mantle cell." So I was interested to read more on the NIH site.

[songinthewind7]

I didn't have any tumor markers done until after I was finished with treatment.
For the 1st year, every 3 months,
For the 2nd year, every 6 months,
3rd year and beyond, once a year

is the way they are doing me.