TNBC - Increase in tumour marker ca15-3

Hi Chica inglesa,

Welcome to the Online Community. I see that you have joined several forums, I hope that you are finding it safe and supportive space. My name is Fiona and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists here on the Macmillan Support Line. I’m sorry to read that you have triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and that your marker is increasing whilst on treatment; this must be a challenging time for you. 

The CA15-3 test only gives one part of your clinical picture and other conditions such as inflammation or viruses can cause a rise, so it is not a reliable indicator of increasing disease. If your team have any concerns about this, they will likely arrange for you to have another CT scan, as that gives them a more comprehensive picture. 

It might be worth contacting your Clinical Nurse Specialist to discuss your concerns. They can liaise with the Consultant if needed. 

Living with TNBC can be challenging so I’m glad that you’re reaching out to our forums for support.  We also have a dedicated TNBC forum which you might want to look at and there is a UK TNBC charity that offer support too. 

You’re welcome to give us a call to talk about what’s happening over the phone with one of the nurses on our Support Line. We often find that we can help people more after doing this as it allows us to ask questions about your individual situation. 

Best wishes, 

Fiona S 

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist  

Ref: FS/HK