Tumor Markers Rising
I'm back after a long respite. I was initially diagnosed nearly 14 years ago with ILC Stage IIIC. I did 10 years of Letrazole. I've moved around a bit and am currently living in a place where I get tumor marker testing. My CA 15.3 went from the top of the range ~29 in February to 89 currently.
I've been having pain in my left leg for about four months that was diagnosed as sciatica. I don't know whether this is related or not.
My onco appointment is Monday.
I am, of course, nervous, and I wondered if anyone else had been in a similar situation and how it turned out. I'm not very familiar with the CA 15.3, having not had tumor marker testing over most of the lasts 14 years (or scans for that matter).
Thank you!
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@mary625 I truly hope the tumor marker rise isn't anything serious. These tests are somewhat unreliable for many, though mine was much much higher when I did have active cancer. Do keep us posted, and once again, I hope it's nothing.
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@mary625
I’ve been struggling with elevated tumor markers, and I’m still dealing with them.
In August 2024, I started treatment for breast cancer that had spread to my bones (specifically the vertebra and the tibia). My doctor put me on Kisqali, Faslodex, and Xgeva, and I also underwent radiation therapy for both affected areas.
The tumor markers dropped slightly, from 90 to 74, during the first five months of treatment.
But then, they rose again dramatically, from 74 to 198, in August 2025, exactly one year after starting treatment.
The strange thing is that all the scans show no new changes, and the PET scan even indicates a decrease in uptake.
My doctor and I are still closely monitoring every new symptom, trying to figure out what’s going on.
Many people say that tumor markers aren’t always reliable, but so far, I haven’t reached a solid conclusion to truly believe that.
I hope for healing and peace of mind in the days to come.
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