Balsey it is hard to answer yoout question without knowing more informatiom.
For example if your friend doesn't have met disease it could be nothing. If
she is stage IV it could mean she needs to change her present therapy,
Alex

It means something is producing an increased amount of certain chemicals
which are found as by-products of cancer.  They are also found as
by-products of other processes, so taken in isolation they are not very
meaningful.  If there is a marked increase which persists over at least two
samples, and there is known cancer, and there is nothing else going on,
particularly other disease or changes in drug regime, then this might
indicate a deterioration in the cancer.  It is most useful where there is a
large known tumour present, eg in stage IV disease, it then usefully
indicates whether the tumour is getting larger or smaller, and measures the
efficacy of the treatment in progress.

Some centres routinely measure markers in the post-operative situation, and
use an elevated marker to indicate that further investigation for mets, such
as bone scan, or CAT might be called for.

Tim Jackson