Scripture of the Day:
1 Corinthians 5:8
“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from
the body and to be present with the Lord.”
What are Tumor Markers
I've been trotting right along in my breast cancer recovery, hitting all the mile-markers I'm supposed to be hitting without any setbacks until last October. Every 6 months, up until that point, I saw my oncologist. In each appointment, blood was taken to be tested for I don't know what.
But last October, I received a call the next day from my oncologist and she said that some markers in my blood test was pretty high. So I went back in and was retested. She said they were still pretty high, but that we'd just keep an eye on them and could I come back in a few months...like I was going to say no!! She explained that the specific thing that was high were my tumor markers. She gave me some information, but we were on the phone, so we didn't talk long. So I looked it up.
What I found indicates that the tumor markers will tell you if there is a possibility of cancerous cells in your body. So I was pretty nervous. I did speak with my breast surgeon at one of his checkups and he said that it may have to do with my ovaries.
All my appointments seem to fall together at approximately the same time. So my next appointment was with my OB=Gyn. She did a blood test for ovarian cancer and ruled it out. But I'm still pretty nervous.
Well, Monday, I had the test with my oncologist redone and it came back normal. What a relief! So, I have now graduated to once a year visits to see her.
I want to share the following article about tumor markers. This will be excerpts. If you want to read the whole thing, the link will be at the end of the page.
What are tumor markers?
Tumor markers are substances that are produced by cancer or by other cells of the body in response to cancer or certain benign (noncancerous) conditions. Most tumor markers are made by normal cells as well as by cancer cells; however, they are produced at much higher levels in cancerous conditions. These substances can be found in the blood, urine, stool, tumor tissue, or other tissues or bodily fluids of some patients with cancer. Most tumor markers are proteins. However, more recently, patterns of gene expression and changes to DNA have also begun to be used as tumor markers.
Many different tumor markers have been characterized and are in clinical use. Some are associated with only one type of cancer, whereas others are associated with two or more cancer types. No “universal” tumor marker that can detect any type of cancer has been found.
There are some limitations to the use of tumor markers. Sometimes, noncancerous conditions can cause the levels of certain tumor markers to increase. In addition, not everyone with a particular type of cancer will have a higher level of a tumor marker associated with that cancer. Moreover, tumor markers have not been identified for every type of cancer.
How are tumor markers used in cancer care?
Tumor markers are used to help detect, diagnose, and manage some types of cancer. Although an elevated level of a tumor marker may suggest the presence of cancer, this alone is not enough to diagnose cancer. Therefore, measurements of tumor markers are usually combined with other tests, such as biopsies, to diagnose cancer.
Tumor marker levels may be measured before treatment to help doctors plan the appropriate therapy. In some types of cancer, the level of a tumor marker reflects the stage (extent) of the disease and/or the patient’s prognosis (likely outcome or course of disease). More information about cancer staging is available on the Staging page.
Tumor markers may also be measured periodically during cancer therapy. A decrease in the level of a tumor marker or a return to the marker’s normal level may indicate that the cancer is responding to treatment, whereas no change or an increase may indicate that the cancer is not responding.
Tumor markers may also be measured after treatment has ended to check for recurrence (the return of cancer).
How are tumor markers measured?
A doctor takes a sample of tumor tissue or bodily fluid and sends it to a laboratory, where various methods are used to measure the level of the tumor marker.
If the tumor marker is being used to determine whether treatment is working or whether there is a recurrence, the marker’s level will be measured in multiple samples taken over time. Usually these “serial measurements,” which show whether the level of a marker is increasing, staying the same, or decreasing, are more meaningful than a single measurement.
...Can tumor markers be used in cancer screening?
Because tumor markers can be used to assess the response of a tumor to treatment and for prognosis, researchers have hoped that they might also be useful in screening tests that aim to detect cancer early, before there are any symptoms. For a screening test to be useful, it should have very high sensitivity (ability to correctly identify people who have the disease) and specificity (ability to correctly identify people who do nothave the disease). If a test is highly sensitive, it will identify most people with the disease—that is, it will result in very few false-negative results. If a test is highly specific, only a small number of people will test positive for the disease who do not have it—in other words, it will result in very few false-positive results.
Again, this is not the complete article. It went into some information in depth. If you want to read the whole article please click on the above link.
Please take a look at my prayer page and add these people to your prayer list. Let me know if you would like to add a name.
If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know he loves you.
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