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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Breast Cancer / December 2003Happy dance on hold until Christmas...
I just found out tonight that Dr. Smiley wants to see Deborah again this month because her markers are on the rise after being stable for more than two years. Nothing to worry about yet as they've been rock solid at 27 for the last couple years and went up to 39 with her last tests ten days ago. She has to see Dr. Smiley on Christmas Eve and if they're still on the rise we'll probably go off Tamoxifen and start Armidex. I know it's too early to tell anything but I'm a little nervous this evening. Oh, well - Tamoxifen is yucky anyway. And - I quit smoking nineteen days ago. I'm doing a fine job with the smoking cessation thing, thank you very much :) So I'm gonna put the happy dance on hold for a few weeks and ask for a few positive thoughts instead. Stable markers would be a phenomenal Christmas present, folks. I don't want anything else.  Signatureallan spammers can reach me at abuse@localhost humans can reach me at wizard at pointbeing dot com Allan wrote << Nothing to worry about yet as they've been rock solid at 27 for the last couple years and went up to 39 with her last tests ten days ago. She has to see Dr. Smiley on Christmas Eve and if they're still on the rise we'll probably go off Tamoxifen and start Armidex. I know it's too early to tell anything but I'm a little nervous this evening. >> I understand how you are feeling. I am sending my best thoughts and prayers. How is Deborah feeling? Take care and {{{Hugs}}} >I understand how you are feeling. I am sending my best thoughts and prayers. >How is Deborah feeling? >Take care and {{{Hugs}}} She's feeling fine, Kaye. All positive thoughts are appreciated :) Hugs back - Signatureallan spammers can reach me at abuse@localhost humans can reach me at wizard at pointbeing dot com Hi Allan, Please relay my best wishes and positive thoughts to your wife at this anxious time. Hope you get the results that your wishing for, Shaz x > >I understand how you are feeling. I am sending my best thoughts and prayers. > >How is Deborah feeling? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Hugs back - Allan wrote: <<<< She's feeling fine, Kaye. All positive thoughts are appreciated :) Glad to hear that. I forgot to add congratulations on becoming a non-smoker after 30 years! WOW!!! That's fantastic. I know of at least one other who did that--my aunt--who has been the only long-term breast cancer survivor in our family out of 8 (w/breast cancer), although including myself and cousin dx'd last year it would be at least10 of us dx w/b.c.--with my cousin, myself, and aunt who are survivors. My aunt also has developed 2ndary lung cancer--although she had been a smoker she was also burnt in a fire 22 years ago (and it was a miracle she survived) which probably is more responsible for the lung cancer than the fire. I admire your strength, perseverance, and determination. All the best to both you and Deborah! Kaye (me) wrote: << although she had been a smoker she was also burnt in a fire 22 years ago (and it was a miracle she survived) which probably is more responsible for the lung cancer than the fire. >> Oops--meant to say more responsible for the lung cancer (referring to fire) that smoking...although, assume both may have contributed... > I just found out tonight that Dr. Smiley wants to see Deborah again > this month because her markers are on the rise after being stable for > more than two years. I don't even know what 'markers' are anyway - but I'm with you both. > I quit smoking nineteen > days ago. I'm doing a fine job with the smoking cessation thing, > thank you very much :) I read that as nineteen years ago and laughed. But nineteen days is still very good, the next eighteen years eleven and a half months are the worst. After that it will be easy. Positive thoughts and love in abundance ... Mary >I don't even know what 'markers' are anyway - but I'm with you both. Some cancers secrete proteins that can be measured in one's blood - that's what we refer to as tumor markers. There are a couple of tests that can be used to measure them - just like the CEA test they use for prostate cancer, the CA15-3 and CA27.29 tests can be used to measure tumor activity in Stage IV breast cancer survivors. The tests vary widely from person to person - it's not the number but the trend that's important. I've known people who were reasonably healthy and happy with markers over 1000 and have known people who've passed away with numbers under 100. Normally insurance companies in the Colonies won't pay for tumor marker tests for breast cancer unless there's some evidence of metastatic disease. A person who's never had breast cancer will have numbers between 0 and 30 - as I mentioned last night Deborah's markers have moved up a bit. The 27 she was at was in the normal range - high normal, but normal nonetheless. Not all people can use the tests as a reliable indicator of tumor activity but Deborah's have been reliable in the past. The 39 she got ten days ago is exactly where she was post-mastectomy but as of three months ago her lungs were completely clear - that's when we did the happy dance. The highest her CA 15-3 has *ever* been is 42. That's when we got dropped from the AC + Taxotere trial for disease progression. Deborah got caught being a bit disingenuous - which spawned a conversation about her being my partner, not my mother but I can understand why she didn't want me to worry. When she returned from her checkup ten days ago she said everything was fine but accidentally let slip last night that Dr. Smiley had scheduled an appointment for Christmas Eve. Since she had been going in for blood work every other month I asked why Dr. Smiley wanted to see her two months in a row and the cat was out of the bag. Things look a lot better today - we're either gonna see a trend and switch treatments or not. There's nothing I can do about it between now and the holidays so I think enjoying the holidays is where I want to be. If we get called back into the fight it'll keep until after the first of the year, I think. >I read that as nineteen years ago and laughed. > >But nineteen days is still very good, the next eighteen years eleven and a >half months are the worst. After that it will be easy. Gee, thanks, Mary :) Actually things are going pretty well on that front. I feel good and I'm happy to be a nonsmoker aver 30 years :) >Positive thoughts and love in abundance ... Thank you - and the same to you and everyone else here. Signatureallan spammers can reach me at abuse@localhost humans can reach me at wizard at pointbeing dot com >Some cancers secrete proteins that can be > measured in one's blood - that's what we refer > to as tumor markers. Thanks for the additional info on what tumor markers are, Allan. Like the other poster, I had no idea what they were and so far have not been tested for "markers". When do they do this? Is it after I finish my radiation treatments? Bea >Thanks for the additional info on what tumor markers are, Allan. Like >the other poster, I had no idea what they were and so far have not been >tested for "markers". When do they do this? Is it after I finish my >radiation treatments? Bea, they probably won't test you unless they have evidence the cancer has spread to some other part of your body. With Stage 2 disease most insurance companies won't pay for the test and it really doesn't tell you anything unless there's tumor tissue left in your body to monitor. The test is also not 100% reliable - it's the trend that's important, not the absolute number. Not getting offered this test is a good thing, Bea ;-) *If* a breast tumor secretes certain proteins *and* if they have evidence of metastatic disease *and* if the test has proven reliable for that person they track tumor markers so they can tell whether treatment is effective - once it's no longer effective they switch you to something else. Most people don't have a need for tumor marker testing. With Deborah, we got into a clinical trial of one kind of chemotherapy - once her CA15-3 started rising we were dropped from that trial and switched to another kind of chemotherapy + Herceptin and Tamoxifen. She finished Herceptin two years ago and has been stable on Tamoxifen alone since then. Her next test is Christmas Eve and we'll have the results New Years' Eve. At that point we'll decide whether to stay on Tamoxifen or switch to another antihormonal - probably Armidex. Signatureallan spammers can reach me at abuse@localhost humans can reach me at wizard at pointbeing dot com Allan wrote: << With Stage 2 disease most insurance companies won't pay for the test and it really doesn't tell you anything unless there's tumor tissue left in your body to monitor.>> I just looked at one of my path reports. I had both the CEA and CA 27.29. Under the results of the latter, it states " Test Method: Advia Centaur BR Chemiluminescence assay manufactured by Bayer Corporation" "The test is intended for use as an aid in monitoring patients previously treated for stage II or stage III breast cancer. Serial testing for CA 27.29 antigen should be used in confunction with other clinical methods for the early detection of recurrence. In house precision studies indicate that CA 27.29 values below 15 U/mL demonstrate a coefficient of variation >20%." >I just looked at one of my path reports. I had both the CEA and CA 27.29. >Under the results of the latter, it states " Test Method: Advia Centaur BR [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >recurrence. In house precision studies indicate that CA 27.29 values below 15 >U/mL demonstrate a coefficient of variation >20%." Hmmm. I stand corrected. Thanks for the info, Kaye :) Signatureallan spammers can reach me at abuse@localhost humans can reach me at wizard at pointbeing dot com > Her next test is Christmas Eve and we'll have the results New Years' > Eve. . . . and so I'll wish both of you a very, very happy New Years', in advance. I'm sorry the stress of waiting for test results has been added to an already stressful season. Beaming best wishes to both of you as hard as I can -- Ann T. Remove 'dontsendspam' from address to reply by e-mail >. . . and so I'll wish both of you a very, very happy New Years', in >advance. I'm sorry the stress of waiting for test results has been >added to an already stressful season. > >Beaming best wishes to both of you as hard as I can -- Thank you, Ann - and everyone. Signatureallan spammers can reach me at abuse@localhost humans can reach me at wizard at pointbeing dot com <snip words on markers> Thank you for that, I think I understand it now. For a while anyway :-) > Things look a lot better today - we're either gonna see a trend and > switch treatments or not. There's nothing I can do about it between > now and the holidays so I think enjoying the holidays is where I want > to be. That's the best way to live every day. Worrying in advance about something which MIGHT happen is as pointless as rejoicing in advance that something good might happen. > If we get called back into the fight it'll keep until after > the first of the year, I think. Well, keep us in touch whatever the results. > >I read that as nineteen years ago and laughed. > > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Actually things are going pretty well on that front. I feel good and > I'm happy to be a nonsmoker aver 30 years :) I'm very happy about that - as one myself. Oh the foolishness of youth ... Keep it up. I'll be thinking of you on that front too. Hugs to both, Mary > That's the best way to live every day. Worrying in advance about something > which MIGHT happen is as pointless as rejoicing in advance that something > good might happen. Hi Mary, It did me good to read your post today. I'm fretting about a daughter who is recently divorced, has lost her voice (for the past 6 weeks) and is trying to maintain a job while voiceless. To top it off, she has asthmatic bronchitis (not related to the voice thing) and her boyfriend just dumped her. While she has reason to be "down", I'm worried that she will become clinically depressed, as she was post partum. I know in my head that the worrying thing is a total waste of emotion and energy, but it sure can be a blinger to "turn off". Your reminder came at a good time. Hope you are keeping well. Barb > Hi Mary, > It did me good to read your post today. I'm fretting about a daughter who [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > keeping well. > Barb I hope I am. Have a clinic appointment on Monday, good news won't be reported - I'll be too busy rejoicing :-)! Mary << I know in my head that the worrying thing is a total waste of emotion and energy, but it sure can be a blinger to "turn off". >> Barb, sorry to hear of the added worries you are having at this time. No fun :-( Do hope situation improves soon. Take care...{{{Hugs}}} allan, Praying that things stabilize. Congrats on the great job re the smoking! ...lisa > Praying that things stabilize. Congrats on the great job re the smoking! So how the heck are you, lisa? It's been ages. Thanks to you - and everyone else :) allan asked, and since I've lost his email address I'm OT-replying here...hope no one minds... >So how the heck are you, lisa? It's been ages. Doing good. Still NED but I'm due for the mono-mammagram in a month or so. Always a touchy time. Hubby's in the throes of his last 6 months of DO school so I don't see much of him. Son number 1 is on Operation Deep Freeze with the Coast Guard. It's his junior year at USMMA and he has to do 200 days at sea. He lucked out as most of the other kids are involved in taking supplies to the mid-east. He just hit the X yesterday (equator and date line intersection). They stop in Sydney for two weeks then head down to Antarctica to break the ice for yearly supply ships. Number two son just had his first auto accident and crushed his poor little Toyota so I now get to drive him around until we either get it fixed or buy a new one. Good thing Romeo and Juliet is over (he was Romeo) or I would be living in the high school parking lot. Thank goodness for small favors. I'm, again, out of work as of 12/19. Merry Christmas, eh? Kodak decided that all SQA and Dev contractors had to go so I'm not alone. We're leaving a skeleton crew behind and I really don't know how they're going to ge the work done. I've got feelers out and had a promising interview yesterday. I don't mind a little time off, but with three in college next calendar year, I can't be out too long. Howz things with your son? Hope all has settled down. Hope also that you have a great holiday season (and everyone else who might read this as well!) Take care. ...lisa > allan asked, and since I've lost his email address I'm OT-replying here...hope > no one minds... If they mind we'll just tell them that acceptance is the answer to all their problems today :) I don't respond to the spamcatcher hotmail address but you can always reach me at wizard at pointbeing dot com. > Doing good. Still NED but I'm due for the mono-mammagram in a month or so. > Always a touchy time. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Hope also that you have a great holiday season (and everyone else who might > read this as well!) I got in a car accident last month - a drunk driver totaled my car and since it was an old winter beater I didn't carry collision insurance on it - so I had to replace it out of pocket (I live in a no-fault state) which sucked mightily. I'm already making payments on Deborah's car and I'm morally opposed to making two car payments so I had to raise a bit of cash for transportation. Two weeks after that happened the furnace in our house died - $2600 to replace which I put on a credit card while I figger out the best way to pay it off. November was a tough month :( Sorry to hear about the job thing - especially right before xmas. Hopefully they'll give you a huge bonus and severance package. I'm still working for Uncle Sam buying geek toys with your tax dollars and playing with them. My official title is ADP R&D Program Manager but it basically means I buy toys. If they're cool enough I buy one for everybody :) The kid is doing pretty well - he's been living in Florida for almost a year and to hear him tell it he's doing an amazing job of living on his own - but I think life isn't quite as kind to him as he lets on. Gotta run, though. Work calls. hugs, allan |
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