As some of you read my moms 15-3 marker went up from 163 to 332. She’s been on her new combo for 7 weeks. Everolimus and Faslodex . She finished a five day radiation treatment to the leg in her bone on Sept. 29th and then they did a tumor marker 20 days later and it had almost doubled . This is her second line treatment after ibrance and femara that worked for over 2 years. My question is I have seen some peoples 15-3 markers in over the 4,000 vs moms at 332. And being able to get markers as high as the thousands back to normal levels. Does the higher the number mean more cancer detected in the body? Like someone in the 1,000 or more would have more cancer in the body vs someone in the 300s or does it not work like that? And for the record her other oncologist didn’t check markers . So this is a first for us? Thanks so much !! I hope this makes sense of what I’m asking.
one more tumor marker question? - SHARE Metastatic ...
one more tumor marker question?
Your questions makes total sense. There are other reasons the numbers can go up besides being an indication that cancer is more active. For example, when cancer cells are dying, they are in the bloodstream and could make the markers go up. I also think different people have different behavior in the markers. I’ve read here that some people’s markers didn’t go up despite cancer. They are considered just one bit of data reflecting what might be going on. For example, mine jumped several months ago and my onco decided to have my PET scan one month sooner to see what might have caused that.
-Helen
Hi Helen…Have you had your PET scan that was ordered early, and if so, what was the result? Curious as my markers went up on my last scan despite having a “stable” report.
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
My markers had jumped from 170 to 279 but the scan wasn’t dramatic. Some bone mets even went down but I had 2 small new ones and one old one increased brightness. So we stayed on Piqray but he had three mets treated with cyberknife radiation. The next PET had no new mets and mixed results on old ones. By now the markers jumped another 100, but that could have been dead cells from cyberknife. Last month, markers didn’t go up or down. So he still has me not changing drugs, trying to eke out as much time as possible from Piqray. (Ibrance didn’t work for me so I got no time -well, three months- from first line treatment) I’ve learned not to freak out too much about the markers — I figure if he’s ok, I’m ok. I don’t even read the lab report til I go in to see him. 🤣
Thanks Helen. I’m fairly new to all of this with 2 scans behind me. The first one showed a marked reduction of the tumors and the second showed stable but markers increased somewhat. I didn’t realize that dead cells could contribute to the numbers. I’m learning a lot on here so thank you!!
Thank you! They did up her scan a month earlier . I guess it better to find out then wait another month. Have you ever got a second opinion on med changes ?
No, I’ve thought about it but haven’t yet. My oncologist tells me what he thinks will be next and for now I’m ok with that. But I do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions😊.
Twenty days is too short a timeframe to assess response. As per the earlier reply, the cancer cells will be dying during this time. There will also be inflammation which will affect tumour markers. Be patient. A scan at 3 months post treatment will be a far better indicator of the response to treatment. Furthermore, radiotherapy continues to work over time 
Thank you. Her onc bumped her scan up a month earlier . So she will be scanning tomorrow . Thanks so much
I'd be interested to know the findings. Please post update in due course
From my limited information 15-3 measures inflammation. Which can be triggered from cancer progression, low WBC, dying cancer cells, and other factors. This is why some ONCs might do this test but don't rely on an individual test. If they do put heavy stock in this test they also look at other tests to form a hypothesis.
Thank you! I hope the dying cells are the case maybe . She scans tomorrow 🙏
How did the scans come out?
It had mixed results with response and progression to the liver . So she will meet with her on Wed. I’m guessing a med change? Anfintor and Faslodex were her 2nd line treatment and has only been on it 2 months . She mentioned when she put her on this combo that xeloda would be next. So I’m not really sure what she will say . Praying for wisdom . Thank you for checking ❤️
Hopefully you get some clarification. From my experience many times the interpretations by different radiologists are inconsistent. I have had some radiologists mention something on a previous scan 2 scans ago that was never mentioned on scans that were done and read afterwards (hope that makes sense). One area I would like to see AI involved to get some consistency with an option for it to be reviewed by a Radiologist.
Thank you!!
You are a great daughter/advocate, 😇👍 I do pray all will be well with her treatments. Amen 🙏GOD bless you, and your mom
Thank you!!❤️
Also, like everything else with this disease, there is a lot of individuality. My markers never get into the hundreds or thousands. Yet, when they go just a bit into the abnormal -- consistently (I get tested on three markers every month) -- into the sixties, I have a PET/CT to follow up and there it is, progression (little tumors, 1 cm for example). So yes, it is soon, and yes, it could be something else, but 300 could signal progression for her, if it keeps coming up but that needs to be confirmed with a scan.
Thank you! They are going to scan her tomorrow a month earlier than originally planned.
thank you!!! She has only had 2 done so far. But her scans are tomorrow so that will answer most of it. Thanks so much
when my tumor goes up my onc changes meds. But if it’s not long then he might watch and wait. Herold me sometimes the cells shed and die causing marker to go up. I was on affinitor and femarA. Took it several months never worked. I hope yours does. Mynarkwr is 338 and I am happy bec scans are good.. after two months of xeloda it went down from 1750 to 338. I have cancer in left breast to left hip and spine..stable now.
Thank you ! They said xeloda would be next for her. I was just praying her currents meds would work for a bit . Before changing to her third treatment.
Yes. Might work that med made me sick but everyone is different. I had. Pacemaker inserted and the onc told e he couldn e sure of the affinitor but who knows -I have scans every 4_5 months. MRkers every two. I wish you the best🙏✝️
It seems early to go to Xeloda. That is what I will go to once I exhaust my fourth line of treatment, because it is oral chemo. Unless you are in England, where I believe insurance will not cover going to a different CDK4/6 inhibitor once one has failed. I have had two different CDK4/5 inhibitors (Ibrance and Verzenio) and am going on the third (Kisqali), and two aromotase inhibitors (fulvestrant and anastrozole) and going on my third (exemastane).
Also, Xgeva did wonders for my bone mets. I had to stop it because of ONJ (parts of my jaw bone died, but I stayed on it long after it was needed).
Where are your Mets? She was diagnosed with mbc in Sept 2020 . At that time it was breast , lymph nodes and lungs. Fast forward to July 2023 ibrance quit working. She had progression to her leg bone and one very small brain met. That they did one single dose of radiation for that and a five day radiation treatment to leg. She has recently had another brain scan just last month and it was fine. All of this has radiation and new meds all started late August and early Sept. But only been her new meds for 8 weeks. So I’m not sure if the brain met and lung Mets would be why. But I wouldn’t want them to start her on Xeloda to early if not needed. And pull the big guns out later. We have a good friend that started with brain Mets and has went to liver and bones and it’s now been like 10 years and she’s still doing well. Just for encouragement for anyone else that needed to hear that. I want to Thank you for taking the time to respond . It means a lot to me.
Wow, she had a good run on Ibrance. I started with Ibrance and Fulvestrant when diagnosed in 2019, but it stopped working in 2021. My original mets were a huge lymph node in mediastinem, pleura, bones here and there. The new ones on my third treatment were lung (hilar), mediastinem lymph node again, and bones. This is the first time I have had bones and mediastinem since diagnosed.
I don't know why the new oncologist wants to go to Xeloda -- not the second but the third line of treatment. Maybe the brain mets? Although that is clear now. The lung? But I have that, too. It could be something else. My cancer is indolent (slow) so the oncologist is comfortable trying things that might not work. My mets are small, so we "have time," she says. Also asymptomatic. My bone mets don't hurt. (L3, lumbar spine.)
As someone else said, we are all different. But so are our oncologists. Some are better than others at treatments and some are better than others at answering questions. If your mother's oncologist is comfortable to talk to, you should ask him (?) to explain the course of treatment and if there are alternatives. But she had the scan today, so you will soon know if the increase in tumor markers means anything.
Hi, my wife went a similar route of your mother in the beginning of her treatment: palbociclib->everolimus->xeloda. Now, after 54 months with mbc, she is in her 8th treatment (Trodelvy).
Since the start we learned a lot about CA 15-3:
1. It is quite personal (can't compare with others).
2. In the first treatment (palbociclib) it was like a clock for my wife: it was between 80 and 200, every time it get worst the pet scan came a bit worst and vice-versa.
3. After the third treatment it became completely irrelevant: it came very low and pet-scan showed an important progression (started on liver afetr many lesion on bones).
Pet scan (or other image/metabolic tests) and pain are the most reliable indicators. Don't get anxious about changes in the CA 15-3 indicator, wait and trust in pet scans. WIth time you will see that.
Good luck for you and your mother, there are a lot of options still for her and medicine is evolving rapidly, so that everyone here in the forum can maintain hope of a combination of medicines that can eventually stabilize the illness and keep it controlled forever!
Eduardo
Thank you so much! This community is so kind and to take the time to reply back. This makes me feel better! She recently changed oncologist and her new onc does the tumor markers . So we are learning as we go. And you all have been so comforting with your knowledge you have learned along the way.
Hi ☺️ Everytime my tumors went up significantly, I had progression. Usually I am around A 100. Last drug ersodue caused the marker to go to 2750! Oncologist put me on Xeloda and all tumor markers are plummeting downward! Praise Jesus!
They are almost back to 100. ☺️
That’s awesome! Yes, praise Jesus! That’s who we put our faith and hope in! Did your last drug cause the tumor marker to go up or you did have progression? When your markers were up to 2750 how did your scan look if you don’t mind me asking? Also thanks for replying it means a lot !!
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