Tumor markers elevated, a little worried right now.
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Hi, Linda!! So glad that your husband's surgery went well! I am sure you are a great nurse!!! Can your husband get out for a drive? You live in such a beautiful area, a drive and lunch😃😃😃
Goldie, hope your treatment totally kicks that Cancer to the Curb! You are an inspiration!!!
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Hi Goldie ~ I am glad to hear that the treatment is at least bearable. Stupid, cancer...hate it! I am in awe of people like you who deal with this on a daily basis and still manage to keep a positive attitude and live life graciously in spite of what you deal with. Keeping positive thoughts that you continue to do well.
Hi to you, too, Kathy ~ My husband has a physical therapy evaluation and/or session tomorrow, so we will be out and about fairly early. He continues to do well, but is getting cabin fever (and so am I). We are planning on going out for breakfast after his appointment, so I hope they don't work him so hard that we have to come right home. I know he would be really disappointed if that happens. I am going out with a friend in the afternoon for a little while tomorrow. I think it will do my husband (and me) some good to be apart for a short time if you know what I mean...lol! I will be checking in to see how it's going for all my friends here. Take care...Linda
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Bump!
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Hi, Linda!! So sorry, I have been missing you all!! Hope everyone is doing well! Prayers for continued healing for your husband, cabin fever is good, means he is getting better and better each day!!! I am having my tumor markers checked on May 6 th!! Have a great weekend!!
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Linda, I have no choice but to deal with it on a daily basis, it controls my life and never leaves my mind. I hate it! Like sitting around, waiting to die. For which I am not prepared for AT ALL! Not even in a few years! Glad your DH is doing well, and I hope you were able to make out to eat. If not then, then at some point. Since that was several weeks ago!
Kathy, good luck on your labs. I did mine on Friday and see my onc this Thursday. They will probably call or email me tomorrow with my numbers. I still have this stupid rash that itches, on my chest and upper back mostly. So scratching and causing small sores that just don't want to heal!
I'll let you all know how it goes. Blessings to all.0 -
Goldie, I had a rash across my midriff last summer. A biopsy showed lobular breast cancer mets and radiation treatments healed it. You maybe should check it out. MaryAnne
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Please let us know, Hon!!!
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MaryAnne, thanks for the advice. I am stage IV with mets to the bones. So in treatment with Xeloda and Xgeva. I believe the rash is an allergic reaction to the Xeloda. I have labs every 3 weeks and scans quite often too and see my onc every 6 weeks.
Kathy, I will let y'all know how it goes.
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I know nothing about Tumor Markers, other than they are known to be unreliable. Does anyone know what is being measured and if TM reliability is improving?
Does this topic have anything to do with the latest trend of "liquid biopsies" which measure circulating tumor DNA (the genetic fragments that can be detected with a blood test)? I started a thread about the topic and wonder if it's essentially the same thing. "Blood test detects tumor DNA mutations in real time."
Thanks!
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Hi ladies, my TM's are down a bit more. Doc upped my chemo pills by one, to see if I can tolerate that. Makes it 5 pills a day. My original dose was 7 pills, SE's were too bad, couldn't handle that dose.
John, I don't know anything about liquid biopsies. TM's can give false positives, but so can scans. As for me, it was what found my mets. My onc told me to have these tested wasn't something he would normally do, but I insisted. He also said I would only have to see him annually as I had passed the 5 year mark. I insisted on staying at 6 month visits. I had no symptoms, none at all, I still don't. My markers continued to rise with every visit, so they did scans and then bone biopsy of the hip....waaa laaa, mets! It is done in your blood work. CEA, CA 15-3 and CA 27.29.0 -
For some, TM's are unreliable but for me they ARE and my latest progression was found after TM's started rising - they aren't used as the only diagnostic tool - they are combined with scans, U/S, etc.
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Good Job, Goldie!! You inspire me!! I get mine tested on the 13th!! Your positive attitude and guidance here are so appreciated ! Sandy, I hope you always continue to do well!!!
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Hi all! Following along with everyone, just not posting! Update for my TM's. In January the CA27-29 came back at 53, March 50, and April 41. I had told the MO I would do a PET if they were still high, but because of the downward trend I will wait for that. Weird, haven't been ill or anything. Will retest again early Sept.
Low numbers, Kindergarten! Have a good weekend all!
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Hi Everyone ~ Glad to hear that your number is down. Keeping you in my prayers that it will continue indefinitely. It is scary to think that we can have mets and feel good. Having my tumor markers taken is definitely a love/hate thing. But when I read about you and Sandy finding your issues through tumor markers, I definitely want them done. I have never understood the theory that finding mets sooner doesn't mean a person's survival rate is better. In my mind, and I may be rationalizing, it seems that if mets are caught and treated early, there would be a better quality of life and survival time might improve. As for combining the numbers with scans, etc., I fought to keep having those done, but was turned down...very frustrating!
John ~ I read a small article on liquid biopsies, but there wasn't enough information given for me to form an opinion. If you have newer information, will you please share?
Kindergarten ~ Prayers from me to you that your numbers will be low. We will only entertain positive thoughts about them
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Sandy, I was like you. Mets found because of rising TM's.
Moni, wow your numbers are almost down to normal! AWESOME! My lowest is 70.
Kathy, the 13th just seems so far away, doesn't it? Please try not to think about it or worry. I know, easier said than done!
Linny, I too was turned down for scans. Insurance would only cover for x-ray. I was only able to get scans after we were able to get different insurance under Obamacare. Our previous insurance was sky high! It was costing us something like $7000.00 a month. This included our deductible too. But it was outrageous! Now I think it's like $3000.00 a month. Still high, but much more doable and they will cover for my scans.
Entertaining Positive Thoughts here too!
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thank you so much, Moni, Linda and Goldie!! Moni, so glad your numbers are down!!! Thanks to you all for all your encouragement!!
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Goldie ~ Wow! Your insurance premiums are, shall we say "premium?" I was shocked when I read what you were paying and what you are still paying. I honestly could not afford those prices. I am glad you are able to get scans when you need/want them. I am a bit nervous right now because I saw a podiatrist for what I thought was recurring plantar's faciaitis (sp?), but it turns out that after I had an x-ray of my foot, it looks like I may have a broken ankle/heel. Right away my mind went to what if it's a metastases. I asked the doctor and she said it doesn't look like it. I certainly hope so. I have been walking around with pain for at least 6 weeks and now have to get a CT scan for a definitive diagnosis. It was pretty crazy because I had the x-ray last week and no one called to get me in to the doctor sooner, so I was just doing my usual stuff and doing exercises that were prescribed. After the doctor saw the x-ray she made me ride in a wheelchair to get a boot and crutches and didn't want me to drive myself home. I know she was protecting herself from any liability, but honestly, I am a bit annoyed that I was allowed to do my usual routine even though a radiologist must have seen the fracture. Yikes!
Kathy ~ Any news on your numbers yet? I am anxiously awaiting to hear that you are good to go until the next round.
Moni ~ Keeping positive thoughts that your number will continue to decline. Tumor marker tests are like golf...we want really low scores!
Take care everyone and have a good rest of the week!
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Linda, so sorry to hear about your foot. I'm gonna say you're good to go, as I don't ever recall hearing anyone with bone mets to their ankle. Bone mets usually hit the hips, spine and I think shoulders. So we are going to go with positive thoughts on this one. But my goodness, why did you wait so long to get it looked at. Kathy doesn't get her TM's until the 13th.
Kathy, it's only blood work, why are they making you wait for that?
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hi, Goldie!! I changed the appt. Last Wednesday, I had a conflict!! Thank you for thinking of me!!! Please have a wonderful weekend!!
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Dear Linda, yikes you poor thing, a broken ankle ?? But, I so agree with Goldie, mets are usually from the knees up!! Are you on an aromatose inhibitor!! I am on aromasin, and my bones have weakened since being on it!! Fractures are not uncommon with these hormonal drugs!! I am sending you hugs and prayers!!! Please keep us posted!!
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Goldie, I forgot to add, that my onc only sees patients on Wednesday, so when I do my blood work she sees me at the same time! She teaches at the University!! She has two small children, so I have a feeling she may just stick to teaching and give up her clinical patients!! I love her, but I totally understand!! Hope you are feeling well!
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Kathy, they could draw my labs at my oncs office when I have an appt. But then I have to wait for the results. Therefore I go to Sonoran Quest a couple of days before I see my onc. And they always send me the results within 2 days.
So when do you go, is it still the 13th?
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Goldie ~ Thanks for the good news about mets being from the knee up, you really made me feel better. Actually, I started trying to get my foot better around 2 months ago. At that time it felt like the typical plantar's fasiitis and my PC doctor gave me a cortisone shot. That lasted only a few days and then the pain came back slightly and worked up to when I asked to see the podiatrist. When I saw the podiatrist, she felt (on exam) that it was probably the plantars thing , but ordered the x-ray to make sure. It's weird, but the pain I have now seems different than a few weeks ago...more pain in the heel of my foot than general pain on the entire bottom of my foot. I am quite the fashion statement in this boot! I will have the CT scan Friday evening and we will go from there. I will post the results of my scan and the diagnosis next week.
Kathy ~ I appreciate your kind words and wishes as well. I hope that you have wonderful results when you have your tumor marker tests...I am keeping good thoughts and prayers for you. I am no anastrozole and have been for 3 years. I definitely have aches and pains from it, but surprisingly, when I had my yearly Dexa scan last summer, my onc told me that my resuts were bertter than the previous year's. However, I guess the term "better" is very subjective in the case of someone who takes the types of drugs we do.
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Hi All -I don't post on here much except to pop in and give an update and encouragement to those waiting for results or wondering whether to have the tests at all.
I am a big believer in "the more info the better" and "don't worry until you have something to worry about".
My CA 15-3 continues to be low (12-15) and these are the lowest numbers I have ever had even after chemo.
For me the marker increasing (Fall 2012- Winter 2013) is what alerted my MO to look for a cause. A bone scan revealed "something" in my upper femur (at the hip) and that is where they concentrated the search. A Biopsy 8 months after multiple scans confirmed BC in my bone, radiation zapped it and I continue to be monitored to this day.
I had a clean PET 1 year after radiation (July 2014), another one in January (2015) and just recently "graduated" to MO follow ups every 6 months. However my MO still wants me to have blood work (with TM testing) every 3 months.
I am coping fairly well on Arimidex (body aches are the worst SE for me) and will continue to take it indefinitely (or until it stops working for me).
I encourage you to have the test and continue to be monitored if possible. For me there was no indication that I had mets in my hip except for the TM increasing - no pain nothing...
Hugs to those waiting for test results and a kick in the butt for those that are trying to decide to get them done!
Marie
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Hi, Marie!! So good to see you here!! You are another wonderful voice here, always encouraging and watching out for us!! I am so happy that you are doing well!! Keep,posting!!!
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Thanks, Marie...I appreciate the words of advice. I will be seeing a new MO in a couple of months and it will be interesting to see if she suggests continuing the tumor marker tests. There are quite a few of you who have said your mets wouldn't have been found if it wasn't for the testing. I am glad that you are doing well and that the radiation did what it was meant to do.
Kathy ~ Hope you are doing well. Have you had your TM's taken yet, or is it scheduled for the 13th? I will be keeping positive thoughts and watching for good news!
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Thank you, for thinking if me, Linda!! I am going on the 13th!!!
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Kathy ~ You're welcome...praying for good results. Keeping you in my pocket!
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thank you so much!!!
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my oncologist strongly believes in TM. I had second opinion and he does not believe in them at all. Now my numbers continue to rise and dr. Wants a PET scan. I feel fine except for tenderness in back right rib. Should I have it
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