Topic: CA 27.29

Forum: Stage IV and Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY — A place for those managing the ups & downs of a Stage IV/metastatic breast cancer diagnosis. Please respect that this forum is for Stage IV members only or those posting on behalf of a Stage IV patient. There is a separate forum for Stage IV Caregivers/Family in "Support and Community Connections".

Posted on: Nov 19, 2007 05:58 PM, edited Nov 19, 2007 05:58 PM by Saffire

Joined: May 2007 Posts: 7

Saffire wrote:

Anyone know if chemo can elevate the CA 27.29? I finished chemo a month ago and my CA 27.29 is at 60 (no idea what it was before).

Posts 1 - 11 (11 total)

AliceJean Amherst, OH Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 663

Nov 19, 2007 06:11 PM AliceJean wrote:

I think sometimes tumor markers "flare" when cancer cells are dying off. Right, ladies???

Alice Jean
Dx 1/5/2007, ILC, 1cm, Stage IV, 3/22 nodes, mets, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Buzz Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 599

Nov 19, 2007 06:27 PM Buzz wrote:

Sixty isn't really significant. Normal range is 40, and different labs using different methods or scales could report a different number off the same sample.

Since you don't know what your number was before, you don't know if the 60 is up from where you were, or down.

Hope this helps.

Dx 2/2004, IDC, , Stage IV, mets, ER+/PR+, HER2-

Saffire Joined: May 2007 Posts: 7

Nov 19, 2007 06:31 PM Saffire wrote:

Thx! All I knew is that the lab report says normal is 0 to 38 so got kinda panicky.

TenderIsOur… Joined: May 2007 Posts: 4,521

Nov 19, 2007 06:32 PM, edited Mar 19, 2008 01:18 PM by TenderIsOurMight

Yes, Alice says it right: elevations of tumor markers seem to occur during treatment due probably due to the break up of the cells. Some here have noticed this included the first draw after completion of chemotherapy.

There's a thread here at this site under "help me get through treatment" that posts an article on this topic. Here's the thread: Do You Know What and Where Your Tumor Markers Are?

Maybe you'll find it helpful and reassuring. Welcome by the way!

All the best to you,
Tender

Dx 6/2001, IDC, Stage II, SLN+, Grade 2, ER/PR+, HER-

Saffire Joined: May 2007 Posts: 7

Nov 19, 2007 06:36 PM Saffire wrote:

Thx, Tender, I'll check out that link.

Saf

Member_of_t… Washington, DC Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 7,113

Nov 19, 2007 10:00 PM Member_of_the_Club wrote:

My first markers were taken during treatment and they were 70. They went down after. Another doctor mentioned that they should never have been taken during treatment but that was how my original onc did things. It was highly stressful and meaningless. Your marker was lower than mine and I'm sure the reason it was elevated at all was treatment.

Toto Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 89

Nov 20, 2007 01:23 AM, edited Nov 20, 2007 03:33 PM by Toto

Ok I deleted my post.

Bugs MN Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 1,674

Nov 20, 2007 09:24 AM Bugs wrote:

Saffire,

Like MOTC, my markers were high toward the end of my chemo (taxol). I think mine was 56...and I came here in a panic as my onc was out of town that day (of course). When he came back he said the same thing these ladies are saying about the flare from cells dying can elevate the markers. He looks at the trend..not one particular reading.

Toto...that post wasn't really neccessary.

Take care,

Bugs

The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life, and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt. Frederick Buechnerr
Dx 2/1/2006, IDC, 6cm+, Stage IIIa, Grade 3, 3/16 nodes, ER+/PR-, HER2-

Member_of_t… Washington, DC Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 7,113

Nov 20, 2007 09:31 AM Member_of_the_Club wrote:

Toto is just wrong. First of all, no one should ever post anything sayin someone here has cancer when it hasn't been diagnosed. I've been coming on these boards for several years and can tell you that the vast, vast majority of scares turn out to be nothing.

Second, you are just wrong. Many of us have ahd elevated tumor markers without mets particularly during and just after treatment. My onc said he wasn't concerned unless they were over 100.

Toto, i think you should delete that post. Its just unnecessarily alarmist.

shend Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 156

Nov 20, 2007 11:34 AM shend wrote:

I agree with bugs and member of the club. This is the second time Toto said something wrong. a couple week ago I posted a topic "mouth sore" and here is her reply:

"Avastin is good but (TAXOL ) the devil that poision you but do not kill ur cancer,did you read the news about taxol 2 weeks ago,it does not work for most BC patients! like ER+ PR+ and positive lymphnode! go to another oncol.because your oncology is very old fashion."

First she made a conclusion my treatment is not working, did know my case at all, thend said my doctors are old fashion. In fact I am treated at Memorial Sloan( Top1) and Dana Farber( top 5).

I have been on this board for 2.5 years. No one like the way Toto behaved. On this board we help, encourage and share information together. Somtimes we can not offer any help, but we showed our comparssion. We are not stupid and we don't anyone to make dicision or conclusion for us.

Shen

Buzz Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 599

Nov 20, 2007 12:10 PM, edited Nov 20, 2007 12:12 PM by Buzz

Best to ignore posts that contain obvious mis-information.

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Topic: CA 27.29