Follow-up on chemo marker high

[Tab]

In a previous post, I noted my CEA (CAE?) marker moved from 3.3 to something to 9.9 (still low) to suddenly 35. I've always had a low marker, so the 35 was most concerning to all.

A PET scan showed the previous tumors in my lungs (treated with stereotactic radiation) were a bit active, but not such that it would zoom the marker.

The thought is that generally the cancer has spread much more, but hasn't taken hold in any one place to be visible yet, which would account for a high marker but nothing to target.

So I'm going to try Xeloda, a FU-5 variant, in a low dose and see if it makes an effect. Both FU-5 and Xeloda are antimetabolites and pyrimidine antagonists, and I've had so much FU-5 over the last last 5 years it may not have an effect (I may have built up a tolerance) and/or it may have a separate set of side effects. I don't know how I'll tolerate it, but we'll try it for 8 weeks or so and do another scan and play it by ear.

- Tab