My oncologist tests me for the CA 27-29 tumor marker every 3 months.  At one point last year, mine increased from one visit to the next, and the oncology physician's assistant who was seeing me started telling me this was very serious, we would have to send me for additional scans, and just generally scaring me to death.

My oncologist walked into the room, and completely disagreed.  He said firmly that, as long as my tumor markers were still within the normal range, he wasn't concerned about some up and down fluctuations.  He said it's perfectly normal for them to go up and down, that there are many things that can cause fluctuations, and not to worry.  

I recently asked my oncologist about my very first tumor marker test -- which he did before my surgery, when we knew I had cancer, small tumors in both breasts.  Apparently, my tumor markers at that time were NORMAL!  So I have to say -- I am not a medical professional in any way -- but I really take tumor marker tests with a grain of salt.

Don't know if that helps?

Traci

I have had two lumpectomies , raditaion etc and out almost 6 yrs of treatment..but I have no idea what tumor markers are-no one ever told me , mentioned those words..but I hear most mention them.

Denise

CypressCynthia said:

Here is what ASCO says about

Here is what ASCO says about tumor markers:

"For monitoring patients with metastatic disease during active therapy, CA 27.29 or CA 15-3 can be used in conjunction with diagnostic imaging, history, and physical examination. Present data are insufficient to recommend use of CA 15-3 or CA 27.29 alone for monitoring response to treatment. However, in the absence of readily measurable disease, an increasing CA 15-3 or CA 27.29 may be used to indicate treatment failure. Caution should be used when interpreting a rising CA 27.29 or CA 15-3 level during the first 4 to 6 weeks of a new therapy, given that spurious early rises may occur. There is no change from the guideline published in 2000."  http://www.asco.org/quality-guidelines/american-society-clinical-oncology-2007-update-recommendations-use-tumor-markers

Here is more explanation about what tumor markers are:

"What are tumor markers?

Tumor markers are substances that can be found in the body when cancer is present. Ideally, a tumor marker would always be found in the blood in higher-than-normal amounts, but only when a certain type of cancer is present. In reality, tumor markers are rarely like that.

Some tumor markers are found in blood, but others are found in urine or other body fluids. Still others are found in tumors and other tissues. They may be made by the cancer cells themselves, or by the body in response to cancer or other conditions. Most tumor markers are proteins, but some newer markers are genes or other substances.

There are many different tumor markers. Some are linked only to one type of cancer, while others can be found in many cancers.

To test for a tumor marker, the doctor most often sends a sample of the patient’s blood or urine to a lab. Sometimes a piece of the tumor itself is tested for tumor markers.

Tumor markers alone are rarely enough to show that cancer is present; they have many limitations (see the section, “The drawbacks of tumor markers”). Because of this, most doctors use only a few tumor markers. When a doctor looks at the level of a tumor marker, he or she will consider it along with the patient’s medical history, physical exam, and other lab tests or imaging tests.

Recently, doctors have begun to develop newer types of tumor markers. With advances in technology, levels of certain genetic materials (DNA or RNA) can now be measured. It’s been hard to identify single substances that provide useful information, but doctors are now beginning to look at patterns of genes or proteins in the blood. These new fields of genomics and proteomics are discussed in the section called “What’s new in tumor marker research?” "  http://www.cancer.org/treatment/understandingyourdiagnosis/examsandtestdescriptions/tumormarkers/tumor-markers-what-are-t-m

All of this is clear as mud, right?  Lol.  Like I said, they have sometimes been helpful to me, sometimes not and your onc may or may not test for them.  They can be a tool in a large toolbox, but they are not to be used alone and can result in confusion.

Whether I had cancer, but he did do the CA125 along with treatment to see if there was a drop or rise. Said that along with scans and how I was feelinv gave him a better picture. When I asked why he didnt do regular markers, he did not feel they gave an accuate reading, and said most who use them do so to see if a treatment is working. The onco I see now who had me on Femara also used markers, for 2 months on Femara there was a slight decrease in the levels. After being off Femara for 5 weeks, the tumor marker showed a decrease of 300 which put me at 129. On Monday , he is doing bone scans head to toe along with ct scans, one from thigh to abdomen, and the other from nose to abdomen to see if there is a reduction in the tumors. U am on Aromasin now, but once the muscle pain from Femara decreased, my bone pain in the lower spine and thighs has increased, as well as my ribs, so he is not at all certain that the markers are givung a true picture, hence, all the scans. He said the same thing my orig Dr. said, that he uses them as a guude along with treatment, but dies not take fluxuations as concrete. But he didnt even mention the first 2 because they were not significant enough to make him belueve trratment was working. And the big drop does not go along with the increase pain.... I wouldnt gbe too worried if the onco isnt, especially if you are within normal ranges. I have not been in normal range since mets were duagnosed, so I dont get too excited. When I was first diagnosed in 2002, my tumor markers were normal. The first time the CA125 was elevated was with mets in 2010. Best of luck to you, and CCthanks for the information, I didnt even know what tumor markers were until I came to this board.