tumor markers - Cancer Message Board

shanana · 03-25-2004, 07:53 AM

would anyone know if an elevated tumor marker is always accurate? my husband (49) has cancer. he has been on chemo for about 6 months. the marker started at 11,0000... dropped to 3100. and just this week went up to 4000.all his other blood work is fantastic.he is due for another cat scan this week.his tumor has already shrunk more than half.(as of the last ct scan) my question is... does an elevated marker always indicate a problem? are they accurate? and if there is a problem... what is the routine? is the medicine changed?thanks.

timsworld73 · 03-25-2004, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanana

would anyone know if an elevated tumor marker is always accurate? my husband (49) has cancer. he has been on chemo for about 6 months. the marker started at 11,0000... dropped to 3100. and just this week went up to 4000.all his other blood work is fantastic.he is due for another cat scan this week.his tumor has already shrunk more than half.(as of the last ct scan) my question is... does an elevated marker always indicate a problem? are they accurate? and if there is a problem... what is the routine? is the medicine changed?thanks.

My mother has liver cancer and her tumor marker CA 19-9 was at 6,000 before chemo. they said they would do it every month because they flucuate. My mothers marker is now 3,000 and her CT she just had has show the tumor has shrunk in half.

butterflytrans · 03-27-2004, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shanana

would anyone know if an elevated tumor marker is always accurate? my husband (49) has cancer. he has been on chemo for about 6 months. the marker started at 11,0000... dropped to 3100. and just this week went up to 4000.all his other blood work is fantastic.he is due for another cat scan this week.his tumor has already shrunk more than half.(as of the last ct scan) my question is... does an elevated marker always indicate a problem? are they accurate? and if there is a problem... what is the routine? is the medicine changed?thanks.

Hi shanana....tumour markers are just that--markers. Their presence lets one know that there is still cancer. So when a cancer is really big, you get a really big number, and when it's smaller, you get a smaller reading. That said, when you get to the lower values, it is not as accurate. In your husband's case, the tumour is probably very small, but a difference between a value of 3100 and 4000 is not that big, and it probably doesn't mean that the tumour has grown any.

Does that make sense?

shanana · 03-28-2004, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by butterflytrans

Hi shanana....tumour markers are just that--markers. Their presence lets one know that there is still cancer. So when a cancer is really big, you get a really big number, and when it's smaller, you get a smaller reading. That said, when you get to the lower values, it is not as accurate. In your husband's case, the tumour is probably very small, but a difference between a value of 3100 and 4000 is not that big, and it probably doesn't mean that the tumour has grown any.

Does that make sense?

butterfly,
yes. that does make sense. it`s just i`ve been a wreck since they mentioned this the other day. i`m fearing the worst. and he`s been responding so well to the chemo. he is going for his 3 month ct scan tomorrow. i really appreciate your response. would you by any chance work in the medical field? thanks, again.

Alternate1 · 07-10-2004, 11:53 PM

Hi Shanana,
I saw your post earlier today about questions you had about IPT. I responded with a lengthy explanation of the treatment based on personal experience. I thought I'd check in to see if you had responded and noticed that the entire thread had been deleted for some reason. In my opinion, it is something you should vigorously research. It is working and has worked for many people. It is administered by many MD's in this country and others, and after FDA approval will undoubtedly be the treatment of choice for many if not all forms of cancer in the years to come. I will again respond in some detail when I have more time than I do at this moment, but you should know that there is hope. Perhaps you of I can start a new thread about IPT in the next couple of days. Till then, God bless, keep your chin up and do some "leg work" about it! I originally found out about it the same way and will never regret it.