What level are tumor markers when..

[Adrian]

you are close to death. Its a blunt question but im just geniunely interested.

Anyone have a rough estimate?

Thanks.

[Scott]

Adrian, I don't think there's a straightforward answer to this question. However, the TCRC's staging page says markers that signify poor risk are:

• AFP >10,000 ng/mL
• hCG >50,000 mIU/mL
• LDH >10 x upper limit of normal

[Adrian]

Thanks for that. Thats a good site overall actually. Theres a mailing list which you can join. What exactly is that?

Also would you say its possible for the hcg to be about 400,000 or something around there? I saw someone post figures of there hcg being 420. Thats 420,000 right? Just seems pretty damn high

[nzsteve]

Hi Adrian,

The mailing list is much like this forum - a means of asking questions about TC and getting answers / advice from some very helpfull and knowledgable people. If your 'learning' about TC its worth subscribing to, if only to read everyone elses emails. Ive never posted to it, but subscribe to the digest version that gives you one daily email containing all the others.

Ref the hCG, I would guess that 420 is the correct figure and not 420,000. Normally in youre hCG would be undetectable (reported as <2), so a figure of 420 is an elevated hCG level, and would be a good indicator of active cancer. My highest hCG level was 19 before the orchiectomy. Anything into the x00,000s would be a very advanced case.

Steve

[matthias]

Quite possibly zero: depends on tumor make-up.

[Derek12]

Einhorn has treated people with bHCG levels in the millions...