CancerCompass message board discussion started by DaddysGrl on 1/13/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,19674,0.htm Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Hello all,My question is regarding a CA 19-9 number listed on my fathers blood work chart that has went extremely down.  My father is 74 with pancreatic cancer started treatment 7 weeks ago with 2 weeks break in between has 1 more week to go before evaluation.  He has had a difficult time getting through the treatments(combo of chemo & tarceva)which has left him extremely weak, tired, depressed, dehydrated, times vomiting, lots of diarehea, feeling of nausea, loss of appetite and wieght loss and just overall misserable.  On our last visit with the doctor my father expressed interest in stopping treatment all together weighing out the quantity of life with the quality of life at this point.  This is when the doctor suggested him contiunue treatment confirming the progress it has made and assured us that treatment is working.  He then showed us bood wrk charts taken before treatment and comparing them to current charts taken within last 2 days.  He pointed out one in particular...this was called the CA19-9.  This specific test jumped from 6330.5(c)h to 1765.6(9).  Does anybody understand this test and this decrease in number?  Is it normal to make such a large jump down with treatment?  Is this a significant difference?  If anyone has had experience with this and can explain the normal ranges of numbers or can share your personal numbers of range I would really appreciate the insight.  Any bit of information would be helpful and appreciated.  God Bless DaddysGrl Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT