Do your oncologists ask for the CEA test with the CA15-3 or CA27.29

[MyMiracle13]

when I have my CA15-3 blood test, my oncologist also asks that I get the CEA test as well. But he keeps saying that the CEA is non specific. Do any of you ladies have this done regularly?

[Hm50]

I also have the CEA done alongside CA153. They say the same to me about it when I asked what it was for xx

[Silver126]

Right the same for me too…

[MyMiracle13 in reply to Silver126]

Thanks very much. What meds are you on now?

[Silver126 in reply to MyMiracle13]

I’m currently on aromasin+ afinitor, it’s my third line after Ribociclib + letrozole followed by Xeloda.

[Jorgit in reply to Silver126]

Mum was on letrozol for five years...the markers were done every three months, and they started to raise the fifth year...Now on palbociclib and fulvestrant for 2 years now and markers stable so far though we do them privately every six months as oncologist does not ask for them on her 4 weeks hemogram

[Chicky05 in reply to Silver126]

Why did u stop ribo?

[Silver126 in reply to Chicky05]

Although I had complete remission in spine ( one lesion in L4), breast and lympho nodes, last November two liver lesions appeared… I switched to Xeloda and it only worked for 7 months.

[Silver126 in reply to Chicky05]

For liver Mets… it worked well with breast and bone, but two liver lesions appeared.

[caw517 in reply to Silver126]

How long have you been on the Afinitor Aromasin combo. I just went on this last week after multiple other combos with ibrance failed .. ibrance did well for me for 5 1/2 years… but .. no more. Hoping this Afinitor combo works!

[Silver126 in reply to caw517]

I started this combo on August 8th… I was on Ribociclib and letrozole for only 15 months, but the problem here in Italy is that when you fail a combination with CDK4/6 you can’t try other combos. NSH pays these treatments but protocols are rigid. Even if you switch from Ibrance to Abemaciclib or Ribociclib for instance, you need a personal permission from AIFA, which is the Italian FDA. At the moment I’m feeling good with no side effects, I’ll have a PET and eco at the beginning of October and I hope in improvement or stability.🙂

[caw517 in reply to Silver126]

I started the Afinitor combo on August 16. I had a PET scan yesterday and will get results next week. The oncologist changed the drugs prior to the scan because I was already presenting with multiple small growths in my chest area. The same as my original cancer but presenting in an odd way… as lesions on my skin. I hope you continue to tolerate this combo. And that the scan goes well for you ! Blessings!!

[Silver126 in reply to caw517]

Thanks 🙏 I hope you’ll have good results too. Let me know how this PET went 🤗

[MyMiracle13 in reply to Silver126]

Thanks. How are the side effects of afinitor?

[Silver126 in reply to MyMiracle13]

At the moment, after 20 days, I have no side effects. On September 5th I’ll have blood tests and we’ll see if there’s something wrong ☺️

[MyMiracle13 in reply to Silver126]

That’s great to know. Are you on 5mg or 10mg? I heard that many people get mouth sores on afinitor. I’m glad you aren’t one of them and I hope I won’t get bad side effects when I will eventually end up on afinitor.

[Silver126 in reply to MyMiracle13]

I’m on 10 mg. I was given a mouth wash by the hospital, it’s a galenic medicament they prepare to prevent mouth sores and it works! So far so good. I hope the treatment works…

[MyMiracle13 in reply to Silver126]

Nice that you have no side effects even on the highest dose. I do hope it works. Here they call it magic mouthwash.

[2Hopeful]

Mt doctor always does CEA in addition to one of the others.

[MyMiracle13 in reply to 2Hopeful]

Thanks very much.

[Hazelgreen]

The only cancer marker I've ever had done in Saskatoon since receiving the metastatic diagnosis in 2019 is the CA 15-3. The initial number of 67 fell to 49 when I was taking 40 mg. of tamoxifen during the first year of treatment. When I was forced to take only 20 mg of tamoxifen in the second year of treatment, it rose to 125. On no meds for three months thereafter, it rose to 190. Subsequently, in the ten months since I started and increased ribociclib, it has gradually fallen to 37. Numbers below 30 are considered to be in the normal range here.

I assume that what the CA 15-3 tells me is how active my cancer mets are. My understanding is that the CA 15-3 measures both live and dead cancer cells. None of my extensive cancer growths ("lungs, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, bone and subcutaneous tissues") have disappeared, and none have shrunk much, but most seem to have stopped growing. So far, this seems the best that I can hope for.

My limited reading on the CEA indicates that it is less specific a cancer marker than the CA 15-3, so I cannot imagine an advantage to having it done in my case.

[MyMiracle13 in reply to Hazelgreen]

Yes I also question why I need to have it done when it is non specific.

[Justme153]

I have never had ca15-3. My oncologist orders ca27-29. I wonder why some prefer one over the other. ?????

[MyMiracle13 in reply to Justme153]

I think you can have one or the other

[Ursula_I]

Interesting. As far as I'm aware here in the UK i've never had these tests done! I'm under the NHS but for five years I was being treated privately.

[MyMiracle13 in reply to Ursula_I]

Many oncologists don’t use tumor markers but my oncologist had me do the CA15-3 since I was first diagnosed in 2012. But when I was diagnosed with MBC, he added the CEA

[love2golfwell]

My original oncologist tested for CEA and CA 27-29, but my new oncologist only tests for CA 27-29. I think every doctor is different in their thinking about what tests they rely on. I know that some oncologists don't even test for tumor markers.

[MyMiracle13 in reply to love2golfwell]

Yes I can see the point of having the CA27-29 but the CEA baffles me.

[love2golfwell in reply to MyMiracle13]

Yes, I am not really sure what the CEA test does as mine was in normal ranges when I was diagnosed with MBC, but my CA 27-29 had an increase. That's how my oncologist knew something was going on even though I was not having any symptoms. I have my bloodwork every 3 months.

[Chicky05]

I don’t get tested anymore just scans to c new growth as know I have cancer

[MyMiracle13 in reply to Chicky05]

Wish I were the same. How often do you have scans?

[SpongebobMom]

I have both done every other month. Oncologist's orders.

[MyMiracle13 in reply to SpongebobMom]

I have mine done sometimes monthly sometimes every 2 months.

[KMBL_]

I have 27-29, CEA, and 15-3 done monthly. Mine is lobular, and the markers are my main go-to if I’m progressing.

[MyMiracle13 in reply to KMBL_]

Thanks for replying

[Adele_Julia]

My onc does the CA 27.29 and the CEA. I have asked and researched what the CEA is for but it’s vague.

[TammyCross]

I have all three monthly. They tend to move together, but CEA ends to get high first when treatment is failing.

[MyMiracle13 in reply to TammyCross]

Oh I see. I think CEA is also a measure for progression to other areas.

[Totheriver]

My doctor rarely does those blood tests. Said ct scans more accurate.

[CTGirl1962]

Yes!! 😍

[Dflur]

What is CEA blood test?

[goat2017 in reply to Dflur]

I don't know what it is also

[Bettybuckets]

When I lived in NZ they did the CEA and Ca 15.3… then moving to USA I did the CEA 27-29… in April my Markers were high and my Lymph node on my neck got really enlarge ;( after a biopsy for foundation med test!) so dr switched me from Ibrance to Verzenio.. the CEA came down from high 8 to I think 5.5 which my understanding is a mean sure of metastatic disease floating around… at the same time my CA27- 29 went up again by 100 points. ( now 459!). I was very grateful the Oncolgust squeeze me in today and he got me scheduled a PET CT scan for early next week- just 3 days before I am meant to fly back to Nz for a month seeing all my friends.

[Ursula_I in reply to Bettybuckets]

Good luck, thinking of you. I hope you are able to travel with no issues.

[DDIL1 in reply to Bettybuckets]

Good luck with the scan.

[TwithBC]

yes, I do.