CEA

belindahill
belindahill Member Posts: 144
in Colorectal Cancer #1
My husband has just done his 18th chemo, still going well, has any one since dx cea has stayed at 2? His onc said some tumors don't respond to cea markers. Anyone else experienced this?

Comments

  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #2
    belindahill -
    I think the best advice anyone can give you, is to tell you to let
    your physicians decide what test results are important, and
    which ones are not.

    There are many "markers" for cancer and CEA is only one;
    one single marker doesn't mean much when a diagnosis is
    being considered! Anything can raise or lower "CEA", so
    don't panic with the news (and "2" is within the normal range).

    Think: good health!

    John
  • joemetz
    joemetz Member Posts: 493
    #3
    2 is good
    2 is a good level.

    Mine was 65 in November, after 22 weeks of chemo, now i am 2.5.
    i was excited about that number, but my onc said the same thing... this is just ONE marker.

    the CT scan is the thing that is my "tell all" for my Cancer and thats scheduled for about a week or two from now.

    keep smiling and don't panic too much about any ONE test or marker.

    but, remember... 2 is good!

    my best
  • joemetz
    joemetz Member Posts: 493
    #4
    2 is good
    2 is a good level.

    Mine was 65 in November, after 22 weeks of chemo, now i am 2.5.
    i was excited about that number, but my onc said the same thing... this is just ONE marker.

    the CT scan is the thing that is my "tell all" for my Cancer and thats scheduled for about a week or two from now.

    keep smiling and don't panic too much about any ONE test or marker.

    but, remember... 2 is good!

    my best
  • JayhawkDan
    JayhawkDan Member Posts: 205
    #5
    I was dx 4 months ago. First
    I was dx 4 months ago. First CEA was 44 and it's dropped everytime and is now at 0.9. I've had one scan since the original, and the tumors -- rectal and mets to liver and a couple of nodes, had shrunk about half. Great news but they still say "chemo for life" and use the "t" word (terminal). I have 2 oncologists at 2 different institutions, that are working together, and they both say this is great and will follow the current path (folfiri, vectibix) until it stops working, then try something else, probably folfox. Still considered inoperable. The goal is to keep me alive until something else comes along. But the CEA gives me hope, whether warranted or not. Good luck to you, my friend! Dan
  • belindahill
    belindahill Member Posts: 144
    #6
    JayhawkDan said:

    I was dx 4 months ago. First
    I was dx 4 months ago. First CEA was 44 and it's dropped everytime and is now at 0.9. I've had one scan since the original, and the tumors -- rectal and mets to liver and a couple of nodes, had shrunk about half. Great news but they still say "chemo for life" and use the "t" word (terminal). I have 2 oncologists at 2 different institutions, that are working together, and they both say this is great and will follow the current path (folfiri, vectibix) until it stops working, then try something else, probably folfox. Still considered inoperable. The goal is to keep me alive until something else comes along. But the CEA gives me hope, whether warranted or not. Good luck to you, my friend! Dan

    Hi jay, my husband is on chemo for like, and having chemo till it stops working, then we try something else, all the very best for you. x

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