Is decreasing CEA a good sign?

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caregiver3
caregiver3 Member Posts: 49
in Colorectal Cancer #1

I don't want to get false hope, but after 2 treatments, my dh's CEA levels have went down.  CEA was 131 prior to his colon surgery, then only went down to 93 two weeks after surgery and that's when we found out that he was actually stage 4 with spread to liver and maybe lungs, not stage 3 like originally thought.  Then CEA went back up to 100.  Now, after 2 chemo treatments with FOLFOX 6 and Avastin added the second one, his CEA is down to 41!  I'm hoping this is a good sign?  What do you think?  Does this mean the chemo is working?   

Comments

  • Tunadog
    Tunadog Member Posts: 235 Member
    #2
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    Sounds good to me..

    Cool The lower CEA my indicate that the chemotherapy is working.

    Good luck on your treatment.

  • impactzone
    impactzone Member Posts: 551 Member
    #3
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    CEA

    CEA is a type of tumor marker, which is a substance that is produced by the body in response to cancer or produced by cancer itself. These markers are not always specific to one cancer and in many cases are present at lower levels without cancer being present or elevated due to other conditions. 

    CEA in your case, and mine,  is one part of the puzzle. It is not a good screening test, but very helpful in following patients that have undergone treatment when it was initially elevated. It is excellent news that the CEA has decreased . The CEA is a good marker to follow in your case to determine disease activity. Most importantly you look at trends. The CEA can bounce up and down a little, but an upward trend over time in multiple measurements could mean something is going on that would require additional tests.

    I had an elevated CEA which rose during treament and then dropped. I did have recurrances and my CEA rose everytime before CT scans could see the mets. It is good that this is a marker and great hat it is responding.

    Chip

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #4
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    impactzone said:

    CEA

    CEA is a type of tumor marker, which is a substance that is produced by the body in response to cancer or produced by cancer itself. These markers are not always specific to one cancer and in many cases are present at lower levels without cancer being present or elevated due to other conditions. 

    CEA in your case, and mine,  is one part of the puzzle. It is not a good screening test, but very helpful in following patients that have undergone treatment when it was initially elevated. It is excellent news that the CEA has decreased . The CEA is a good marker to follow in your case to determine disease activity. Most importantly you look at trends. The CEA can bounce up and down a little, but an upward trend over time in multiple measurements could mean something is going on that would require additional tests.

    I had an elevated CEA which rose during treament and then dropped. I did have recurrances and my CEA rose everytime before CT scans could see the mets. It is good that this is a marker and great hat it is responding.

    Chip

    Does decreasing markers mean

    Does decreasing markers mean the tumors are shrinking? I have 3 liver lesions that have to shrink before they can be removed. My first infusion decreased both my markers.

  • PamRav
    PamRav Member Posts: 348 Member
    #5
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    It did for me

    as the chemo shrunk the liver tumors my CEA levels dropped. and I was able to have liver surgery to remove the tumors. Part of the liver was abalated and part resectEd. 

  • Ruthmomto4
    Ruthmomto4 Member Posts: 708 Member
    edited December 2017 #6
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    I think

    it’s a really good sign!!!!

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #7
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    PamRav said:

    It did for me

    as the chemo shrunk the liver tumors my CEA levels dropped. and I was able to have liver surgery to remove the tumors. Part of the liver was abalated and part resectEd. 

    Thanks! I am hoping that is

    Thanks! I am hoping that is the case for me. 

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #8
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    Decrease is good

    Decrease is good but you also need to look at the next scan report.  Awesome that his numbers are going down though as it means that treatment working could be bringing it down.  Good way to head is down with those numbers.  He should be happy.

    Kim

  • caregiver3
    caregiver3 Member Posts: 49
    #9
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    Thank goodness!

    Thanks for the replies!  I'll take any good news we can get!  It's been nothing but bad news since my dh was diagnosed in September.  So hoping with all my heart that this huge CEA drop is a good thing!

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    edited December 2017 #10
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    caregiver3 said:

    Thank goodness!

    Thanks for the replies!  I'll take any good news we can get!  It's been nothing but bad news since my dh was diagnosed in September.  So hoping with all my heart that this huge CEA drop is a good thing!

    Drop in numbers

    You should be ringing in the New Year with those good numbers.  Try not to worry - everything seems to be going in the right directions.

    Happy New Year!  Kim

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