› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Tumor marker up with keytruda
- This topic has 24 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 2 months ago by
mrsaxde.
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- November 3, 2015 at 4:04 am
Hi there friends,
i have missed you but it's always good for us to take a little cancer break if we are so lucky to be able to! If you remember my 18yr old son Jake is stage 4. He has mets everywhere but brain. He has had 7 treatments and has scans again Nov 19. His last scans showed major improvement in bones, spine, skin, femurs etc. stable and less active in lungs and liver. One new tumor in his chest. Overall we were happy! Jake looks really good! I really thought I would lose him in June….but keytruda….a miracle right?!? He only has fatigue and is back at life mostly. His treatment was TH and I just got labs posted online. His LDH tumor marker was up. His highest while growing rumors like crazy was 180. It's been way down the last few months but popped back up to 161 this week. Should I care? I haven't told him. He is 18. He can look if he wants. But really he just wants to live his life. Never ever do we talk cancer!!
Jake did just start a charitable foundation. It's called "Jake's Hope". He is going to give mini wishes to cancer kids! All his deal. He is doing a few other things too. Finding his voice just a little. Happy mom:) Glad to hear some of my old favorites in hear still okay! Prayers, love and lots of pure toughness shared here!! Thank you! And all you new peeps, welcome! This will be a really important place in your life.
Kerri–mom of Jake
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- November 3, 2015 at 11:58 am
Kerri-
I think LDH levels up to 200 are considered normal. I believe i read somewhere that they can fluctuate. I know they are not reliable for predicting what melanoma is doing. Not trying to downplay the importance of it but also may not be anything. Glad Jake is doing good and living life.
Jamie -
- November 3, 2015 at 11:58 am
Kerri-
I think LDH levels up to 200 are considered normal. I believe i read somewhere that they can fluctuate. I know they are not reliable for predicting what melanoma is doing. Not trying to downplay the importance of it but also may not be anything. Glad Jake is doing good and living life.
Jamie -
- November 3, 2015 at 11:58 am
Kerri-
I think LDH levels up to 200 are considered normal. I believe i read somewhere that they can fluctuate. I know they are not reliable for predicting what melanoma is doing. Not trying to downplay the importance of it but also may not be anything. Glad Jake is doing good and living life.
Jamie -
- November 3, 2015 at 1:37 pm
Ldh should show what is normal at your doc office. Up to 250 is normal at mine. Unfortunately I'm almost at 1000. I would say his number is nothing to worry about since it is way in normal range.
Artie
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- November 3, 2015 at 1:37 pm
Ldh should show what is normal at your doc office. Up to 250 is normal at mine. Unfortunately I'm almost at 1000. I would say his number is nothing to worry about since it is way in normal range.
Artie
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- November 3, 2015 at 1:37 pm
Ldh should show what is normal at your doc office. Up to 250 is normal at mine. Unfortunately I'm almost at 1000. I would say his number is nothing to worry about since it is way in normal range.
Artie
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Hi Kerri, if you look at the guidelines for blood levels of LDH, it gives a range of 105-333 IU/L. Also many things seem to be able to effect the level, including intense sports activities, alcohol and some vitamins. I would put more importance on scan results and how he is feeling at this point. Wishing you the best!!! Ed
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Hi Kerri, if you look at the guidelines for blood levels of LDH, it gives a range of 105-333 IU/L. Also many things seem to be able to effect the level, including intense sports activities, alcohol and some vitamins. I would put more importance on scan results and how he is feeling at this point. Wishing you the best!!! Ed
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Hi Kerri, if you look at the guidelines for blood levels of LDH, it gives a range of 105-333 IU/L. Also many things seem to be able to effect the level, including intense sports activities, alcohol and some vitamins. I would put more importance on scan results and how he is feeling at this point. Wishing you the best!!! Ed
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:26 pm
My dads LDH has fluctuated while on Keytruda. It was not elevated before he started the drug despite having tumours as large as 8cm. LDH is a marker of cell turnover so I am not sure how useful a marker it is for someone clearly responding to Keytruda who is having their cells attacked by the immune system. This would be a good question for your oncologist. One might even think that elevation in LDH shows that cells are being destroyed which would be a good thing. For reference, my dad is also stage 4 with tumours in his bowel, lungs, lymph nodes and brain. We thought we were going to lose him in April but his tumour burden is down 70% since starting Keytruda with some large masses (4-5cm) entirely gone.
-msitz
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:26 pm
My dads LDH has fluctuated while on Keytruda. It was not elevated before he started the drug despite having tumours as large as 8cm. LDH is a marker of cell turnover so I am not sure how useful a marker it is for someone clearly responding to Keytruda who is having their cells attacked by the immune system. This would be a good question for your oncologist. One might even think that elevation in LDH shows that cells are being destroyed which would be a good thing. For reference, my dad is also stage 4 with tumours in his bowel, lungs, lymph nodes and brain. We thought we were going to lose him in April but his tumour burden is down 70% since starting Keytruda with some large masses (4-5cm) entirely gone.
-msitz
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:26 pm
My dads LDH has fluctuated while on Keytruda. It was not elevated before he started the drug despite having tumours as large as 8cm. LDH is a marker of cell turnover so I am not sure how useful a marker it is for someone clearly responding to Keytruda who is having their cells attacked by the immune system. This would be a good question for your oncologist. One might even think that elevation in LDH shows that cells are being destroyed which would be a good thing. For reference, my dad is also stage 4 with tumours in his bowel, lungs, lymph nodes and brain. We thought we were going to lose him in April but his tumour burden is down 70% since starting Keytruda with some large masses (4-5cm) entirely gone.
-msitz
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- November 4, 2015 at 1:54 pm
Now that's what we like to hear!! 70% down! yES! Jake also has/had large rumors and many and all over! I saw him going downhill during the summer. It's just so amazing to see him better! I wasn't too into the blood results. How do you feel about the longevity of keytruda?
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- November 4, 2015 at 1:54 pm
Now that's what we like to hear!! 70% down! yES! Jake also has/had large rumors and many and all over! I saw him going downhill during the summer. It's just so amazing to see him better! I wasn't too into the blood results. How do you feel about the longevity of keytruda?
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- November 4, 2015 at 1:54 pm
Now that's what we like to hear!! 70% down! yES! Jake also has/had large rumors and many and all over! I saw him going downhill during the summer. It's just so amazing to see him better! I wasn't too into the blood results. How do you feel about the longevity of keytruda?
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Ki Kerri,
I'm glad that Keytruda seems to be doing great things for Jake, as it is for many of us. My oncologist actually called it a "miracle drug," and she has been involved in melanoma research, so I'll take that as very encouraging.
Let me add my voice to what others have already said. If Jake's LDH is up from previously, but is still within the normal or "reference" range for your lab,you might ask the doctor about the significance, if any, but it's probably just a fluctuation and it may be down again come time for his next blood work.
-Bill
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- November 6, 2015 at 3:00 pm
I think the jury is still out on how long Keytruda will continue to work. I know that some people's responses have continued for a long time….much longer than most responses to ipi. So many individual factors go into responses from these immunotherapies. For most of us, Keytruda won't be a cure. For some it will be, from what we've seen so far. My individual goal is that I want my body to keep responding to Keytruda until something even more effective comes along.
-Bill
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- November 6, 2015 at 3:00 pm
I think the jury is still out on how long Keytruda will continue to work. I know that some people's responses have continued for a long time….much longer than most responses to ipi. So many individual factors go into responses from these immunotherapies. For most of us, Keytruda won't be a cure. For some it will be, from what we've seen so far. My individual goal is that I want my body to keep responding to Keytruda until something even more effective comes along.
-Bill
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- November 6, 2015 at 3:00 pm
I think the jury is still out on how long Keytruda will continue to work. I know that some people's responses have continued for a long time….much longer than most responses to ipi. So many individual factors go into responses from these immunotherapies. For most of us, Keytruda won't be a cure. For some it will be, from what we've seen so far. My individual goal is that I want my body to keep responding to Keytruda until something even more effective comes along.
-Bill
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Ki Kerri,
I'm glad that Keytruda seems to be doing great things for Jake, as it is for many of us. My oncologist actually called it a "miracle drug," and she has been involved in melanoma research, so I'll take that as very encouraging.
Let me add my voice to what others have already said. If Jake's LDH is up from previously, but is still within the normal or "reference" range for your lab,you might ask the doctor about the significance, if any, but it's probably just a fluctuation and it may be down again come time for his next blood work.
-Bill
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- November 3, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Ki Kerri,
I'm glad that Keytruda seems to be doing great things for Jake, as it is for many of us. My oncologist actually called it a "miracle drug," and she has been involved in melanoma research, so I'll take that as very encouraging.
Let me add my voice to what others have already said. If Jake's LDH is up from previously, but is still within the normal or "reference" range for your lab,you might ask the doctor about the significance, if any, but it's probably just a fluctuation and it may be down again come time for his next blood work.
-Bill
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Tagged: cutaneous melanoma
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