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CEA Question
 |
Mar 13, 2019 - 3:30 pm
What is normal for a CEA level? I understood it was 3 and under. My doctor just called to say that mine is now down to 5.4 and that 5 and under are normal. I just Googled it and can't seem to find the answer. Can someone please tell me if I'm wrong? I'd love to be only .4 away from normal! Thanks! Jan |
Joined: Oct 2015
CEA
Typically anything 5 or under is considered normal by the standards of the test I am given. Congrats on your level continuing to drop. You so deserve some great news!
Joined: Sep 2014
Thank you! I now realize I've
Thank you! I now realize I've been telling everybody that 3 and under is normal so I've been giving the wrong information. Dang!
Jan
Joined: Aug 2013
I always heard 1-5 is the
I always heard 1-5 is the basic normal range, that does put you darn close...............................................Dave
Joined: May 2018
Re
Under 5 or 6. Depends on the level. Unfortunately even a normal CEA doesn’t mean there is no cancer....
Joined: Apr 2018
Looked at my most recent labs
Done on February 6, The parameters the lab used for normal was 0-3. Guess it depends on the lab?
Joined: Mar 2010
It does depend on the lab
Sloan Kettering considers <5 to be normal; you can't compare CEAs done at different labs.
Joined: Jan 2013
three and counting
I was also told 3 and under, so don't worry about giving out the wrong information. You know that you can go to one Oncologist and hear one thing, and another Oncologist and get a different answer.
And congratulatoins on getting down to 5, considering what you have been through across the years, I think that is worth celebrating.
Tru
Joined: May 2018
Re
i had a recurrance with a CEA level 6. 5.?My initial one was 2200. We thought it was very sensitive good indicator to me. A month before the scans I was 1.7 and 2 months before 1.2.
Joined: Feb 2009
CEA
5 and under is normal but you are so close to normal. Many things can influence the number too so you are doing great.
Kim
Joined: Sep 2014
Thanks everyone! Okay, so I
Thanks everyone! Okay, so I don't feel like such a dummy. Cancer is serious business and I don't want to give out false information, even if it's just about the CEA level.
Butt, I know it doesn't mean it's gone. The odds of mine ever being gone are nil but it still is a great level. I'm really hoping it got the biggest tumour this time. And matbe some of the really little ones are gone?
What I find so empowering about this immunotherapy treatment is that it tells my body to go after the vancer and targets it for my immune system. It's empowering to know that my own body is what has killed off a bunch of cancer cells. I did it myself! I've been so angry with my body for having this to start with and now I'm proud of it. This feels so awesome!
Jan
Joined: Jul 2017
Hip hip hooray! As we ALL
Hip hip hooray! As we ALL know it doesn't mean it's gone but in your case it IS a big deal. You have come a long way. I"m so happy for you!
Joined: Jan 2019
Jan
Jan
Congratulation on the great CEA result. My wife's oncologist told us that 2 and under is good. Her CEA report showed standard range to be under 5. All this time we were praying for it to be under 2, when it has already came under 5 from the last 3 tests (4.9, 2.9, and 2.8). Shows how lost we can get when over focusing...lol
Joined: Sep 2014
Hooray!
Those are great numbers! Good for her!! Give her a congratulatory hug for me, please!
Jan
Joined: Jan 2019
(No subject)
Joined: May 2018
Re
CEA is used in most cases to see if chemo is working. Low CEA doesn’t mean the cancer is out. I was told CEA may start rising usually a few months before the scan can pick cancer in either newly diagnosed or in a position of recurrance. It definitely wasn t my case, again my CEA was around 2200 when the treatments got started. We believed it was very sensitive for me but it wasn t the case. Butt.
Joined: Nov 2001
When I was diagnosed (long ago in a faraway galaxy)
Under 6 was considerred normal. with stage3c cancer into 6nodes My cea at the time was 1.6. With very few exceptions since then it has remained at less than 0.5. My surgeon always said that the sharp rises and falls were of more importance than the number. Congratulations on the drop to 5.4. Ron.
Joined: Jul 2005
CEA test normal range
There are 2 different CEA tests now. They use different reagents, so their range of "normal" values is different. The older Siemens/Bayer method (still the most commonly used I think) defines normal as <3.0 for non-smokers. The newer Roche method has a higher normal range - I think it is <5.0 for non-smokers.
Finding out the method your Lab uses (it should show range on Lab report) should help you interpret the result. If the Roche method was used, then 5.4 is, I think, within the noise range of normal. If the other method was used, then there is an increase, but I'm guessing it is not that significant. You should ask your onc about this.
Take care,
Betsy