The day after we returned from Kenya I had an appointment with Dr C. It's my second follow-up since the switch from chemo to Femara and the first blood work-up. Unfortunately, the CA27-29 tumor markers are back up again, meaning that the Femara may not be working.
Last year, when my mets were diagnosed, the CA27-29 was over 200. Normal range is ~40, though the test is not considered super reliable and they don't use it routinely to monitor after early-stage diagnosis and treatment. My doctor does use it with his metastatic patients as it can often be a leading indicator of whether the current treatment plan is working. While I was on the Abraxane, the CA27-29 marker dropped significantly in September & the December reading was down to 50 (almost normal). In February, it was at 60 and based on the reduction of tumor mass in my CT scans, we decided to take a break from chemo and try a hormonal therapy - Femara. After four months of Femara, it's back up over 200.
We'll be following up with a CT scan and a bone scan. Depending on what we see, we'll decide on the next step. If there is limited tumor growth, there are other hormonal medicines we can try. Otherwise, we'll blast it again with chemo. My body seems to tolerate the chemo fairly well, but Dr C is hoping to give me a few more months break before we go back to that.
I should have the scans done in the next week or two -- will keep you posted on what we see.
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