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Went to the doctor on Mon and had a CA125. It has been slowly creeping up (not a lot). It is now 41. Am going for a CT next week and a meeting with the doctor the week after to see if there is anything to do. I feel great and she couldn't feel anything on exam. She is willing to wait until I get some symptoms. Trouble is that I never had symptoms when diagnosed except for elevated CA125 of only 128. It has been three years in remission.
Oh, I am so sorry, Zircons. I hope you get more information soon so that you will know what your game plan is.
You may not ever be aware of symptoms. It may all be discovered on scans. I hope you can wait a bit if you have to do chemo again.
Holding many a good thought for you.
Zircons, sorry it's coming back. The best thing for you to do now is to celebrate every months you are not yet in chemo! You and your doctor will figure out when to jump back into treatment, either by # , radiological evidence or symptoms.
I squeezed out an extra 4 months of no chemo and I am still glad about it.
Hi
Don't wait for symptons . I have has two recurrences
and both of them were alerted by a rise in the
CA125. Get a cat scan and go from there. The
sooner you start treatment the faster it goes away.
If you wait for symptons it can spread. After 10 years
my CA 125 went from 17 to 45 My doctor sent me
for a catscan and it showed a little activity in my
lower left area. He scheduled surgury and took
out a tumor the size of a small egg and lima bean
and it had not spread. I took six cycles of gemsar
and cyplatin and now I am ok. Took another catscan
and everything is clear.
I am very sensitive to a CA125 and it has saved
my life twice. Don't wait.
Keep Well if you have any questions please
ask
Blessings
Anita
Sorry that you have to deal with this again. See what the CT scan shows and maybe you'll get answers. I know I've had a recurrence with absolutely no symptoms - just an elevated CA125, confirmed by a CT scan - so I also don't like waiting for symptoms to appear because there might already be something going on. Lots of time they can't feel anything during an exam, so that doesn't answer your question. Hang in there and see what the scan shows.
I'm going for a scan tomorrow for the same reason, and to see the doctor to discuss the CA125 results (which I'm sure went up), so I'll be thinking of you. I just finished 8 cycles of Doxil and was hoping for a break, but I have a feeling that's not happening. We'll see. I wish you the best. Stay strong.
I'm sorry that your remission may be over. I also had a slowly rising CA-125 with no other obvious recurrence symptoms. The two enlarged nodes (both about 1.5 cm) showed up on the CT scan, and a follow-up PET scan confirmed a moderate level of glucose activity. I hope that if you are in recurrence that it is small and quickly treatable.
Take care,
Sheara
My doctor orders PET/CT scans. My CA125 went to 100+ and the scans did not show any disease. Obviously, it was very small. He tried me on tamoxifen (10 mg x 2 daily) and it brought my CA down to normal in 6 months time. I was still NED. Starting in Jan. 2008, it started creeping up again and was in the mid 50's in May 2008 when a scan showed a 1cm spot by my liver. We did not start chemo .. but stayed on the tamoxifen until the end of 2008 and watched the liver spot. By the end of 2008, the liver spot had doubled and the CA125 was back in the 100's. I'm now on chemo again. The point is, I was lucky to add 18 months without heavy chemo. Tamoxifen works for 10% of OVCA patients. It is something to consider. My MD does not treat the CA125 without seeing actual disease. Best of luck. Judy
Thanks everyone. I will wait until the CT scan on Wednesday and doctor's visit the following Monday to decide what the next step will be. I appreciate all of your thoughts in this. It gives me extra to discuss with the doctor.
I had a similar experience but with a shorter remission time (18 months). My CA 125 slowly went up until it was 52 - there was a small nodule on my liver (.5cm) but my doctor doesn't believe in waiting. I started a trial with Gemzar/Carbo/Avastin and my CA 125 dropped to 15 after 1 treatment, to 7 after 2 and my CT scans came back clear but my dr. still wants to finish the 6 rounds of chemo.
Good luck with whatever you decide. You had 3 years remission - I understand the longer you can go between recurrences, the better the prognosis!
Sorry that it may be back, but please let us know what you find out.
Take care & God Bless
I am so sorry. Keep us posted on what they find out. There is one girl on the site who through diet and supplements, at least that is the only thing she can attribute it to, had a drop in her CA125. I, too, was just diagnosed with my first recurrence after 11 months in remission. I am trying to find the post since I am praying I don't have to go back on chemo again or at least can prolong the time before I do. I will keep you in prayer. And I pray we can stave off treatment if at all possible.
Sorry you're having to deal with this, and hope the rise is from something else that will resolve on its own. I'll keep you in my prayers.
Minnie
Hi
Sorry to hear about your rise in CA-125. I had a slight rise 11- 15 but did not do anything until something showed on the CT scan. I never had symptoms cause the cancer returned on my liver and spleen and my CA-125 only rose to 21 before I had surgery.
You are in my prayers.
Dee
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