CA-125 count jumped from 15 to 37.

msfanciful
msfanciful Member Posts: 559
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hey everyone and Happy New Year!

January was my 2-month lab visit. After the lab I found my ca-125 went from 15 to 37! The past 6-months every 2 months my counts would go up about 2 points, but now... I had my cat-scan on January 8, 2010 and will find out the results on Tuesday.

I am so scared because back in Nov., my last scan showed 2-lymph nodes (enlarged/para aortic?) but because my count was 15 at the time I tried to take a strong stance and say lets see what my next visit will reflect and I'll make a decision then. My doctor back then had hinted at possibly spot-treating the 2 nodes with radiation (this would be a first for me), but I wanted to wait to see what this scan shows. I'm beginning to think I made a terrible mistake by not taking her advice? My counts were doing so well too.

Has anyone had this type of issue and or had their lymph-nodes spot treated with radiation?

Does the radiation destroy the nodes or the suspected cancer in the nodes? What would happen if the nodes get larger? I want to add, on all of my cat-scans, there was never any evidence of tumors, just the 2 para-aortic nodes. I guess I could ask my doctors all of these questions Tuesday, but I'm very anxious right now from answers.

Also, I don't know if its a coincidence, but about 2 months ago I began a really near vegetarian diet. I'm losing weight as a result and feeling great, but could I have messed myself up? I would hate to think so because this is the healthiest eating plan I have ever had in my whole life.

Anyway, I started taking lexapro to get me through this, but anyone with actual answers for me would help get through these next few days.

Thanks.

Comments

  • Kgirl
    Kgirl Member Posts: 45
    #2
    Enlarged para aortic lymph nodes
    I was diagnosed with a reoccurance in May of 2009. My CA-125 jumped to the 80's and then to 200 by the time a PET scan was done. The CT scan found slightly enlarged para aortic lymph nodes and the PET confirmed that it was cancer. I immediately started chemo but in December had to change chemos again because the CA-125 again started to rise and the CT scan confirmed that one of the lymph nodes has gotten larger and now there is a possibility of pelvic disease as well.

    Please don't beat yourself up over this - you are doing everything you can to do the right thing. The main consensus is to wait until symptoms appear before treating. You were trying to maintain your quality of life and that is what we should do. Even though I started treatment right away, I don't know that it bought me any more survival time and chemo is never fun.

    Wishing you the best,

    Kathy
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #3
    Kgirl said:

    Enlarged para aortic lymph nodes
    I was diagnosed with a reoccurance in May of 2009. My CA-125 jumped to the 80's and then to 200 by the time a PET scan was done. The CT scan found slightly enlarged para aortic lymph nodes and the PET confirmed that it was cancer. I immediately started chemo but in December had to change chemos again because the CA-125 again started to rise and the CT scan confirmed that one of the lymph nodes has gotten larger and now there is a possibility of pelvic disease as well.

    Please don't beat yourself up over this - you are doing everything you can to do the right thing. The main consensus is to wait until symptoms appear before treating. You were trying to maintain your quality of life and that is what we should do. Even though I started treatment right away, I don't know that it bought me any more survival time and chemo is never fun.

    Wishing you the best,

    Kathy

    Enlarged para aortic lymph nodes.
    Hi Kathy,

    I first want to thank you for your encouraging words and I thought I should update you on my visit to my oncologist today.

    The nodes were a tad larger than before and enlarged nodes means that the cancer cells themselves are inside the nodes growing. She isn't concerned so much with the ca-125 count as she is with the size of the nodes.

    Initially, she thought she would have to treat them with radiation but said that radiation would only treat that specific area and not the entire system but that was before she realized that my new insurance option had kicked in.

    Once this was realized; she mentioned a chemo/pill treatment called " etopcin?" about 1 time a month for 3 months, its expensive ($1,000) per pill but I only have to worry about the 20% and we are attempting to get help to cover the part not covered by my primary insurance.

    The etopcin will shrink the nodes down to nothing as well as reach any cells floating around my system. That's the plan anyway. She said it's much more effective than radiation.

    Kathy, I was so happy. As always we increase our worries ten-fold and you were right!

    Thank you, thank you, thank you, and God bless you and your family.

    Sharon
  • BonnieR
    BonnieR Member Posts: 1,526 Member
    #4
    Sorry to read of your latest tests, but then thankful to see your additional post that sounded like you were not questioning that anymore. I know women who swear because they switched to vegan diet they were beating their cancer, and others that eat whatever their hearts desire and never have recurred ~ so go figure huh. I think it proves it is out of our hands, we can do everything ~ get cancer and never have a remission and we can do everything wrong and never have cancer in our entire life. :-)

    I was a vegan and in really good physical shape when I was finally diagnosed, and come to find out my sisters and I all have the BRCA2 gene mutate ~ but still 2 of got ovarian cancer and 2 didn't. I well never know why and just glad I am here seven years later to say you can live on chemo and no remission. So please do what is right in your heart, be a vegan diet or not and trust God. God well carry you through this obstacle and use you in mighty ways.

    Hugs ♥ Prayers Bonnie
  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #5
    Good luck
    Sorry to hear about your tests results. Good luck with the new medication and let us know how it goes. My ca125 too was creeping up and is still within normal range when a small area lit up on a PETscan. As another poster said don't beat yourself up over your now healthy diet. Sometimes the cancer is just there - dormant.

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