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Confused about CEA levels?

sweta
sweta CSN Member Posts: 20
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi,
My fiance had colorectal cancer in 2004 and has been NED since.We had his scans and blood tests over the weekend and I am so happy to tell all of you that the results were good.We shall be showing the scans to his doctor by the coming weekend but from what the doc at the lab told us it's all good.I just wanted to find out more about the CEA levels?In 2008 his CEA levels were around 5.4 but he was said to be NED?Since then they have just come down every year to 3.5 this year.Does this mean that his body is getting better?Or can the cancer come back even with decreasing CEA levels?Have any of you seen any cases where the CEA has been decreasing over the years but there has been a recurrence?
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Comments

  • Paula G.
    Paula G. CSN Member Posts: 596
    #2
    CEA
    I am not an expert on this but I do know that it is a tumor marker. Some people can go by this and some can't. My husband's Onc said that it depends on who does the testing some say normal is 2.5 and some .5. It can go up and down but the lower the better.

    Someone with more info will chime in and help. I think this sounds great if it is down.
    Paula
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  • geotina
    geotina CSN Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    #3
    CEA
    CEA the lower the better. CEA in some is a good indicator and for others, not so much. Can the cancer come back, its a crapshoot, some get recurrence some do not. Tina
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