Has anyone experienced tumor markers rising after 1st cycle of trodelvy?! Did they go back down after next cycle. Doc told me they could rise due to new chemo regimen and then they go back down because of tumor markers were overloaded. I’m a little worried.
Internet says “Chemotherapy treatment can cause a temporary increase in tumour marker levels. This happens because chemotherapy causes cancer cells to die quickly and release large amounts of the tumour marker.”
Im freaking out.
Given what your doc said and what you found on the internet, this shouldn't be a major freak out. Sounds like it was to be expected.
One test doesn't mean anything, my oncologist says. (Mine are gradually creeping up, so I am thinking my new treatment isn't working. I am not on chemo; didn't find any reassuring info on line about the ones I am taking, as you did.) For chemo, what I found is that it can take weeks or months for the effectiveness treatment to appear.
If TMs are still up after the next few tests, then you can freak out. For now, you have to take it as a good sign.
Sorry - I am not answering from experience. I think others probably can. It's just that no one else has responded yet, so I am just going by the info you have and that I found. It seems pretty persuasive. I am trying to hold off on freaking out until next month, and I don't have the assurances you do that this is not an indicator that treatment is failing; to the contrary.
Thank you for replying to my post. I am always worried that when things are going the way they’re supposed to it’s the worst case scenario.
🙃
Yes my tumor markers increased then decreased on Trodelvy. It is what is known as flares caused by cancer cell die off. This was the sign Trodelvy was working. Shortly afterwards my scans confirmed Trodely was working.
The Dana Farber EMBRACE program for MBC has a great presentation about tumor markers on YouTube called “ Biomarkers for Treatment and Progression | 2021-2022 EMBRACE MBC Virtual Forum Series“. About 14 minutes into the video the oncologists discuss tumor flares.
Yes I've been on Trodelvy for 2months now and my TM are still going up but my bones are no longer aching and my anemia is better. So I'm hoping that this will come up in the scans next month. Hope it works well for you and all the best
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