Tumor markers are a way of testing how much cancer a person has and how active it is. Cancer releases a substance in the bloodstream that can be measured and this is how tumor marker numbers are determined. When I was diagnosed with cancer in Oct 09 my markers were at 297. Six months of chemotherapy brought that number down to 188 before it began to climb.
Since my cancer is estrogen fed my ovaries were removed this past summer and the next day my markers dipped but within a short amount of time they began to climb again. The all time high was 1105 taken back in Sept/Oct 2010 which led me to this current round of chemotherapy.
Shortly after the first of four treatments of Adriamycin and Cytoxan the tumor markers measured 662. After the second treatment it went down to 398. On January 20, 2011 I again had my tumor markers tested and they had dropped to 346. While I am thankful for the direction, I can honestly admit that I was hoping for more of a drop. When you look at how much it dropped after the first and second treatment you can see why I was hopeful.
Tomorrow, I am going to receive my last of the four treatments and then my Doctor and I will make a decision about what to do next. Please keep in mind that the tumor markers need to be under 36 to register normal. Also, tumor markers are not a reliable way of measuring how much cancer a person has. I pay attention to the numbers but a false high can show up when a lot of the cancer is dying releasing a large number into the bloodstream. This is why Doctors use other measuring tools like PET scans for ongoing information and treatment planning.
Please continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I will continue keeping you posted via this blog and facebook.
Susan
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