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Breast Cancer (Expert Forum)
ca2729 continues to rise despite chemo
Questions posted in the Breast Cancer Forum are answered by medical professionals from The Cleveland Clinic. Topics include Breast Biopsy, Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy, Lumps, Lumpectomy, Lymph node dissection, Lymphedema, Mammograms, Mastectomy, Radiation Therapy, Reconstruction, Self Breast Exam, and Surgery.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-RN,MSN-rf, Aug 30, 2004 12:00AM
Dear dotapcb: We do not use the CA27.29 because we do not find it reliable as a soul source of information about the status of the cancer. We use measurements of tumors in the lungs (as in your case) to measure the response of chemotherapy. In any situation, the benefits of treatment must be weighed against the risks. This includes the health of the patient and the expected response.
Member Comments (2)
by omacar, Aug 29, 2004 12:00AM
tumor markers reflect proteins shed by the cancer cells. They are not always reliable but can indicate whether the treatment is working. I understand they can go into the thousands. Seems your doc is changing treatment based on the markers but this should be backed up by scans or other test results. You should talk things over with him and have him explain the markers and change in treatment and aso what the game plan is. Good luck.
