everolimus and exemesthane

[Innira]

On everolimus and exemesthane

My mother is on everolimus and exemesthane since March 2019 .Her CA 15 was consistently coming down. Until the last test a week back it has risen by 60 points.

From 450 it had gotten be down to 99 and now w it's 160

Does this mean the medicine is not working

[Hidden]

Hi Innira -

I'm glad that your Mom has had such good response to treatment! The increased tumor markers do not necessarily mean that the drugs have stopped working. Sometimes the markers go up for no apparent reason, but other times they indicate that progression is happening -- but it can take several /many months to show up on a scan as actual progression.

While we all hate to see increased markers, I'll mention that my doc says she has some patients whose markers increase by hundreds of points in one month, so an increase of 60 is not necessarily especially alarming. I've had increases of up to 20 points (about 20%) that subsequently reversed, so I don't know if this is about the markers actually going up and down or if it's about the test itself having some variability.

Best wishes to you, and I'm hopeful that the increase turns out to be nothing! I hope she has a scan scheduled soon so that you can get the real answer and move on to a more effective treatment, if needed...

Lynn

[hdhonda]

Mine have always stay in the normal range, so cancer markers don't work on me. I think scans are a better way to tell if there is progression. Some doctors don't even take them. Mine does. I wish you the best. Blessings, Hannah