Question
tootsie1
Member Posts: 5,044 Member
My CEA results were .5, which I know is excellent. Just wondering. Does somebody who's never had cancer have a .0? Can't find anywhere that says one way or the other.
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Comments
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Wow, that's a really good question! My CEA is also at .5, and i just assumed that was a normal number, even for people who don't have cancer. I wonder if it IS possible to have a 0 CEA? And would that mean that person has no carcinogenics in his blood at all? I will ask my onc about it on Thursday.
Many hugs,
Krista0 -
I can't formally answer your question. But I am told that CEA numbers, apart from being not particularly reliable for many people, vary a lot. My norm is 3.4 - anything below 3.7 is considered "normal". I was told that anything under that 3.7 causes not much concern. Since I never had a CEA done before I had cancer, I don't know if mine used to be different. I am currently cancer free. So I don't think that weather or not you had cancer would change your sort of base line or acceptable/normal CEA, but I don't know that for sure. Great question.0
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Thanks for the replies. I'll be interested in whether we ever get an answer to that. It's great to have someplace to go to for answers, or at least discussions. *smiles* By the way, I'm still naked happy dancing here. Still in pain, but whatever the heck that is, it will have to wait. Today, I know I am GOOD, as far as cancer is concerned. *hugs everyone in sight due to relief*
Gail0 -
I cannot answer that, either. But, look at this link for some information about CEAs in general....
http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/features/ref_ranges-2.html0 -
Tootsie,
I have never heard of anyone having a CEA of zero. Since my last surgery mine has remained at or less than 0.5. I think if you go out in the general population, the CEAs range from "less than 0.5 to 2.5 or so...That is how they determined the "normal range" being under 2.5 for non-smokers and under 5 for smokers. They just went out and took a random sample of cancer free folks and that is how they came up with those numbers. So, I am quite sure that everyone produces some CEA.
Ask your doc though and let us all know what he/she says.
-Susan H0
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