Tumor Marker Update

Last week, when I had my monthly Zoladex injection to shut down my ovary production, I asked the nurse to draw blood for lab tests, specifically tumor markers. I got the results today . . .

and my CA15-3 was only 23!! In the normal range (0-31 U/mL)!! This was what it was in September, before I was diagnosed. Here is what the levels were over the past 9 months:

9/2007 - 23 U/mL
1/2008 - 31 U/mL
3/2008 - 36 U/mL
6/2008 - 23 U/mL

It's going down again!

As I noted before (see my earlier post), they're not exactly sure what this measures. Here is the disclaimer on the lab report: " . . . Serial testing for patient CA 15-3 values should be used in conjunction with other clinical methods for monitoring breast cancer. Elevations may be found in patients with non-malignant disease. CA 15-3 values should not be interpreted as absolute evidence for the presence or absence of ??" (page was cut off).

Even with that disclaimer, I'm celebrating. It's going down. Radiation and chemo are working!

The normal range for the CEA tumor marker test is <3.8 ng/mL. My CEA test was as follows:

1/2008 - 1.2 ng/mL
3/2008 - 0.9 ng/mL
6/2008 - 1.0 ng/mL

So, it's still in the normal range. Good news!

Finally. I needed to know that everything I'm doing is accomplishing something!