Tumor markers up

[ChrisVict]

I went for blood and Xgeva shot. My tumor markers were high. I called onc and got a response that I did not expect. When undergoing new treatment Affinitor and exestamane the proteins that are being attacked can break up and go into blood. So it’s wait and see til next blood work and scan. Anyone go through similar situation?

[GollyG]

My markers went way up when I started treatment, then came down. My onc only said it was the cancer reacting to treatment - I like your explanation of proteins being broken down better!

[JPutt]

I've just changed from Letrozole to Fulvestrant and was hoping my markers would come down but a month later they are higher than ever been. I have also heard this - on this forum - that you can get something called "flare" where the dying cells are being shed into the blood and so tumour markers rise. So I researched it myself and found a study where a proportion of the women saw a rise in their markers for the first six months after starting Fulvestrant even though their disease had either stabilised or responded. This is what I am hanging onto too! I know they say don't depend on markers alone but they certainly have the capacity to make or break MY day. Thinking of you x

[Beaches42]

When I started my latest treatment (Ibrance and letrozol) my tumor markers went up at first. My oncologist said the same thing as yours. Had to wait and see if it was a flare response to the new meds working or true progression and only time will tell. Luckily they eventually started to come down and have decreased ever since so hang in there.

[Have-faith]

Yup. Happened to me on Ibrance. No one forewarned me and of course results came in my portal over the weekend so I freaked thinking the cancer was growing out of control. Explanation given was new meds were breaking down the cancer so their was cancer protein (yuk) in my blood which registered in my blood work. Then the following months my numbers decreased and all seemed beautiful until it was not! When I went on Afinitor I had great results! Markers went down to 27. For me, my tumor markers CA 27.29 do correlate with what is going on with me internally. This is not always the case for all. While all of our journeys are similar in many ways, we all react uniquely. Faith

[Iwasborntodothis]

Glad I found this string...just back from Doc after two months of Fulvestrant and tumor markers doubled again......I HATE TUMOR MARKERS