Kanga: Your CEA Question

Unknown
Unknown
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Kanga, CEA is the abbreviation of some lengthy words that basically are tumor markers in your blood. I know there are some folks out there who know what these words are but for the life of me, I can't remember them right now. Something having to do with carniogenics...yada, yada, yada. Anyway, not all tumors give off this substance, but many do so generally, if CEA is rising, something is going on. However, in some cases, other conditions such as an infection, smoking cigerettes or using nicotine products, marijuana smoking and such can raise these levels as well...not high, high, high, but higher than normal. Normal is usually somewhere between 0-3, or with some oncologists, 0-5. Normal meaning that there supposedly is no cancer. However, again many tumors do not secrete this substance into the blood stream and therefore, there could be cancer growth without an elevated CEA and there could also be no cancer growth with a slightly elevated CEA. It's all rather confusing and not to much emphasis should be placed on CEA levels in and by themself but coupled with other things, i.e., scans, general blood work, changes in patients condition, etc., they definitely aid in monitoring cancer or recurrence thereof.

There is also a new test out there right now, actually not that new...been out since early 2003, called a GCC-B1, which is supposed to be much more accurate in detecting recurrent colon cancer. Many oncs aren't doing it yet...and I don't know why. I put a call in to Bert's onc (actually, I e-mailed him) yesterday to see if it's possible if Bert can have the test. In the world of cancer, it's still considered relatively new and unfortunately, here in the States, many insurance companies won't cover it's cost.

Now, you'd think with all this information I would be less worried about Bert's consistent CEA at around 5.9-6.0!!!! Well, I'm not! Hope I've shared some good info with you.

Hugs,
Monika

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
    Just read your post about wanting to know when Bert had his operation....Kanga, it's a small world indeed. Here's a German guy, living in the United States who has is op the same days as a guy from nearly a half a world away....August 7, 2003. Perhaps you and he are two souls walking on the same path. Gotta go. I'm on break at work and just thought I'd check in. Have a great day/night, whatever the heck it is.

    Smiles and hugs for the Monika who's gotta get back to work or her A - - will be Grass! :-)
  • kangatoo
    kangatoo Member Posts: 2,105 Member
    #3
    unknown said:

    Just read your post about wanting to know when Bert had his operation....Kanga, it's a small world indeed. Here's a German guy, living in the United States who has is op the same days as a guy from nearly a half a world away....August 7, 2003. Perhaps you and he are two souls walking on the same path. Gotta go. I'm on break at work and just thought I'd check in. Have a great day/night, whatever the heck it is.

    Smiles and hugs for the Monika who's gotta get back to work or her A - - will be Grass! :-)

    Hiya Monika n Bert--well, fancy that!I just said to Jen--what are the chances of two guys half a world away hooking up on the net with the same surgery days--and just think of the 1,000's of people all over the world with the same cancer!
    AWWWWWWW---we gotta keep in touch Monika--this has got to be a moment in history!
    Ripleys "believe it or not?" or just coincidence--it is amazing.
    Say hi to Bert for me--"brother"
    lotsa luv n hugs, kanga n Jen

Discussion Boards