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CEA/CT Scan - do not agree

jcavanaugh
jcavanaugh CSN Member Posts: 100
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My dad's cea went from 30 to 160 in two months; however, there was no change in his CT Scan (all the same). Has this happened to anyone else?
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Comments

  • impactzone
    impactzone CSN Member Posts: 556 Member
    #2
    It has not happened to me but my onc (i'm stage 4 currently NED) said that if CEA rose, he would do a PET. Can your dad get a PET?
    Impactzone
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  • cjf2006
    cjf2006 CSN Member Posts: 83
    #3
    I was told the CT scan is more reliable, but it can't register very small changes in growth. So perhaps the CEA is indicating something is happening that is too small to be seen. I don't know why my onc has never ordered another PET, other than the first one I had, but it sounds like a good idea since it lights up active areas.
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  • hopefulone
    hopefulone CSN Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    #4
    Hi. More emphasis is given to the ct than the CEA in most cases. If your Dad is having chemo, chemo can increase the cea count . Good luck and God Bless
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  • Fergus2007
    Fergus2007 CSN Member Posts: 109
    #5
    The mysteries of the CT-scan and Pet-scans .. .

    My fathers CEA went from 130 down to 80 and the CT scan showed no changes after 4 months of chemo.

    He had a pet scan done in January.

    Be aware that pet scans show "growing things" of ALL kind. - it showed my fathers broken arm healing and they checked him for bone cancer for 3 weeks.

    CT-scans on the other hand also show things like scaring and calcification.
    (... as far as I know: they can't tell the difference between living and dead tissue)
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