The Cancer Survivors Network (CSN) is a peer support community for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, families, and friends! CSN is a safe place to connect with others who share your interests and experiences.

Thank you for being a part of the Cancer Survivor Network community. Survivors and caregivers like you have played a unique role in fostering an online environment that encourages connection among those needing support, community, and education. On May 28, the Network will be discontinued. More details are available here . If you have any questions, contact CSNSupportTeam@cancer.org. Thanks again for the support you’ve provided each other over the years. We remain committed to supporting you in other ways throughout your cancer journey.

CEA and other lab tests in colorrectal carcinoma

fmorato
fmorato CSN Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My uncle has had surgery for colonic adenocarcima (T4/N0) yet even in good general condition with chemotherapy, he presents lab test abnormalities: CEA >30 and high SGPT. Anyone knows about this alterations in blood tests? Please reply. Thank you
Like Care

Comments

  • pumps2fix
    pumps2fix CSN Member Posts: 5
    #2
    Found this in google
    htt://www.patientcenters.com/colon/news/
    blood_tests.html ... My surgeon had no faith in
    CEAs...I had a T2 with a 1.9...Pumps
    Like Care
  • joe08536
    joe08536 CSN Member Posts: 7
    #3
    Well, While a CEA of +30 is probably something in order for it to be accurate you need to do alot of other things, like eliminate smoking and/or 2nd hand smoke as this shows up as elevated CEA. While CEA maybe use to some clinicians, I had a tumor the size of an orange (T3,N1-2,M0) and had a CEA at the time of my surgery of something like 1.7, so you can see it's not a sure indicator of anything for me. The running joke in our group of 5 other colon cancer patients was that the rate of grass growth outside was probably a more accirate indicator but if it make the clinician's feel better - we were happy to oblige.

    On the other hand - while getting my chemo, I found that keeping an eye on my hemoglobin and WBC (white blood cells) was key to good tolerance of my chemo meds.
    Like Care
  • dont
    dont CSN Member Posts: 8
    #4
    I LIKE THE REFERENCE TO GRASS GROWTH OUTSIDE THE WINDOW,THERE MAY BE SOME USEFULL INFORMATION THERE. MY ONCOLOGIST TOLD ME WHEN I QUESTIONED HOW VALID THE CEA TEST WERE,THAT EVEN IF THERE IS NO INDICATION OF CANCER,IT'S BETTER THAN ME HAVING AN ACTIVE CANCER,AND NOT HAVE HAD A TEST!! NO ONE COULD FIND SENSE IN THAT!
    Like Care
  • Dreamer57
    Dreamer57 CSN Member Posts: 4
    #5
    I'm sure CEA's must mean something in some circumstances, but I know that when I was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer my CEA was 0. My doctors don't even test that anymore, because it obviously doesn't measure anything in my body.
    Like Care
  • livin
    livin CSN Member Posts: 318 Member
    #6
    Dreamer57 said:

    I'm sure CEA's must mean something in some circumstances, but I know that when I was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer my CEA was 0. My doctors don't even test that anymore, because it obviously doesn't measure anything in my body.

    CEA means nothing to me. I was getting them every month after my Breast Cancer in 1999 all the long I had stage 3 Colon Cancer that was discovered in 2001. I still get them but don't trust them.
    Like Care

Discussion Boards