Monday, February 9, 2009

Medical Tests

In one of my recent Posts I told you that February was the month I would be having some follow-up blood test and also a chest x-ray. I planned to do these now as February 12th will be the 6 month anniversary of receiving the diagnosis of breast cancer.

3 months ago I had the AMAS cancer blood test ~ www.oncolabinc.com ~ Anything under 135 is considered normal/negative for cancer cells. The first test in November came back with a score of 36.
Last week - February - I had a repeat test and the test results came back with a score of 12. So it had come down even further.
I also had the Ca125 cancer antigen assay. Anything less than 25 is considered negative or normal. My test results came back at a 11. This particular test is used primarily as a marker for cancer of the ovary, but is also used for other malignancies - including the breast.
I also had a chest x-ray and there was no sign of metastises to the lung or ribs and there were no enlarged lymph nodes visible.

So I must say I am quite encouraged. Tawnya still takes the stance of "cautious optimisn".

We will all feel better when the tumor is "digested" and gone. From others I have talked to who have been down this road tell me it takes 12-18 months for the tumor to dissolve and be excreted.

So that is my good news!

1 comment:

caoimhin said...

Why would you do a chest x-ray??? Aren't there other, less destructive, ways of viewing/detecting growths? Don't x-rays increase your chance of breast cancer? Couldn't you have used thermal imaging?