Low CEA

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darcher
darcher Member Posts: 304 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

  After reading various posts and seeing scores all over the place when I finally got mine I was surprised.  It was 1.3. From what I've read that's within the range of a person without cancer.  The last couple blood works that came back do show some elevation in white cell activity over the initial readings which is expected due to the 15  chemo/radiation runs but even then it's still within what's considered 'normal'.  Going back to the biopsy which also came back negative if it weren't for the visual evidence I'd never know I had cancer except for the pain and bathroom issues. Does anyone else have low scores or is this an anomoly?  I'm just curious since it seems the tests done are not always as conclusive as we'd like.    

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    edited August 2017 #2
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      In the twenty yers since

      In the twenty yers since cancer my highest reading was i.2 and they put that down to a peptic ulcer. My normal reading comes back as less than 0.5  Ron.

  • RichieTheK
    RichieTheK Member Posts: 13 Member
    #3
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    My oncologist trusts a CT

    My oncologist trusts a CT scan more than CEA values as an indication of the state of my cancer. So long as the CEA value is reasonably steady, he is not concerned about it. My CEA had been fluctuating between 7 and 11 and he is happy with that. 

  • Phoenix_66
    Phoenix_66 Member Posts: 118
    #4
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    CEA

    My typical NED CEA level is usually around that same number of 1.3.  My onc says that everyone is different. For some, the CEA is a good indicator if cancer is present (I am in this category) but for others the CEA is not as accurate as a CT or PET. 

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    #5
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    CEA

    My CEA was something like .5 when I went in for surgery for cancer which turned out to be State 3.  For some people CEA is not a reliable indicator.   Additionally, I had an inconclusive biopsy.  Hopefully for you these indicators will hold true, but they are not predictive for everyone.

  • Kazenmax
    Kazenmax Member Posts: 463 Member
    #6
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    CEA

    My very first test when my cancer was discovered, my CEA was 1.8. Right in the middle of normal range and yet my cancer was stage 3. It seems CEA is not a good indicator for colorectal cancer. My onc prefers CT scan over PET scan and CEA.

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #7
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    CEA

    Mine was always normal (less than .05) even when first diagnosed so it's not a good indicator for me.  Some doctors don't even take the CEA as it's not very accurate so if it works for you then base it on your studies as it can be a good indicator for some.

    Kim

  • darcher
    darcher Member Posts: 304 Member
    edited August 2017 #8
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    I don't think my doctors give

    I don't think my doctors give it much credence since no one mentioned it.  I had to ask and that's as far as it went.   Perhaps it's used as a baseline to see if it rises or falls as time goes on.  We'll see. 

  • wlacey7
    wlacey7 Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2017 #9
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    my score before surgery was 1

    my score before surgery was 1.5 .  score now at six months post surgery is 0.5. 

    my understanding is that that low numbers do not mean cancer free as you can have a non secreting tumor . but high numbers above your normal are reasons to take a closer look. 

     

  • Tunadog
    Tunadog Member Posts: 235 Member
    #10
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    CEA has been a good indicator for me..

    Before surgery (almpost two years) my CEA was 13.8. After surgery it was 2.7. It pretty much stayed the same during Oxaliplatin and Xeloda treatment.

    Six months after treatment I had a recurrence and my CEA rose th 9.8. I have blood test done every 2-3 weeks during Xeloda and Avastin treatment. It started going down 8, 7.6, 7.2, 7, 6.6 and then went down to 4.6 this week.

    My last PET/CT showed minor shrinkage and no spread.

    For me it's a good indicator.

  • thingy45
    thingy45 Member Posts: 632 Member
    #11
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    Stable CEA

    before stage 4 surgery CEA was 18, after stable at 1.1 has not changed in 6 years

  • Walter4268
    Walter4268 Member Posts: 4
    edited September 2017 #12
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    CEA

    My CEA recently dropped from 35 before cyberknife radiation to 15 after first round. I, unfortunately, cannot do any more radiation as Dr. Wernick says the most recent scans do not show enough viable liver remaining and it could cause more harm than good.

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