My CEA jumped and I am panicking a little

abita
abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

My CEA jumped from 3.3 to 5.9 in 2 months, and I am so horribly panicked.

Comments

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    edited February 2021 #2
    Googling,

    Googling,

    I see an article that in some, dying cancer cells can raise CEA

    Telling myself maybe the rash being bad or the horrible congestion caused inflammation that caused it to rise

    I mean, it almost doubled. this seems so bad

    Okay, I found a study that says that in a test of 43 surges, only 2 were a recurrence. Not a big study, but one that I am clinging to until my next scan

     

  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #3
    Your CEA is barely outside of normal range

    And the change could be from a variety on insignificant causes.  Mine has always jumped back and forthe between 2.5 and 6.4, and that has meant nothing.  Watch for a trend, because so many little things could have caused your increased CEA.

    Keep breating!

    Alice

  • darcher
    darcher Member Posts: 304 Member
    edited February 2021 #4
    CEA Scoring

       I've had mine rise and fall like the tide. I was told the first time it rose that it can vary by as much as 50% per month with nothing changed.  As Abrub pointed out, it's all about trend. And even then there isn't much to worry about until it goes to over 30 or so.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    edited February 2021 #5
    Mine went up and I was still NED

    Mine rose a little, a few years ago. My Oncologist ordered a CT Scan which came back normal. 

    When do you get it checked again? 

    Tru

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #6
    Thank you all for helping me

    Thank you all for helping me calm down! I took what y'all and a couple friends said and convinced myself that this rise most likely is not a sign of cancer growth. I also, and this may seem silly, told myself that if the CEA rise was that worrisome, my oncologist would have had my scan moved up. And I have heard nothing from that office. My next scan is still March 3rd.

    I have one more infusion before my next scan. Normally he doesn't even check my CEA unless I have scan results and I have also convinced myself this is because he doesn't feel that it is a good indicator in me this time. It was in the thousands for my original diagnosis and srhunk in the same percentage as my tumors.

    I am strting to wonder if the erbutix rash has something to do with the CEA. It was so bad the week before I got the CEA test, that I started using the medicine. I was scratching so bad that I was bruising my legs. Surely that rash comes with inflammation.  I now use the cream proactively on th back of my knees. I didn't before because I tolerated it so as not to risk getting it on my cats. But I just couldn't take the itching anymore. So i wear bottoms that cover my knees now.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #7
    abita said:

    Thank you all for helping me

    Thank you all for helping me calm down! I took what y'all and a couple friends said and convinced myself that this rise most likely is not a sign of cancer growth. I also, and this may seem silly, told myself that if the CEA rise was that worrisome, my oncologist would have had my scan moved up. And I have heard nothing from that office. My next scan is still March 3rd.

    I have one more infusion before my next scan. Normally he doesn't even check my CEA unless I have scan results and I have also convinced myself this is because he doesn't feel that it is a good indicator in me this time. It was in the thousands for my original diagnosis and srhunk in the same percentage as my tumors.

    I am strting to wonder if the erbutix rash has something to do with the CEA. It was so bad the week before I got the CEA test, that I started using the medicine. I was scratching so bad that I was bruising my legs. Surely that rash comes with inflammation.  I now use the cream proactively on th back of my knees. I didn't before because I tolerated it so as not to risk getting it on my cats. But I just couldn't take the itching anymore. So i wear bottoms that cover my knees now.

    Also

    My Oncologist never ordered a CEA during chemo, telling me that chemo itself can skew the CEA results.

    I know you will still worry, but if you can put it somewhere at the back of your mind, March will be here soon and the scan will put your mind at rest. 

    Tru

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    edited February 2021 #8
    Trubrit said:

    Also

    My Oncologist never ordered a CEA during chemo, telling me that chemo itself can skew the CEA results.

    I know you will still worry, but if you can put it somewhere at the back of your mind, March will be here soon and the scan will put your mind at rest. 

    Tru

    CEA

    My doctor never ordered a CEA during treatment either.  Actually, they didn't do a scan until after my first round of chemo either.  Some doctors don't want the CEA during treatment and some do.  It just depends.

    Kim

  • rosie585
    rosie585 Member Posts: 1
    edited February 2021 #9
    CEA

    My CEA went from 6 to 18 in 2 weeks. I was concerned because it tripled. The DR. moved my scan up and it showed no changes. The next blood test it went down. I get blood tests before each chemo treatment. The things I go to right away is the CEA number and the kidney function number because I had kidney cancer 20 years ago and I have only 1 kidney that isn't the number it should be.

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    edited February 2021 #10
    He didn't even mention the

    He didn't even mention the CEA. :) 
    He did say, I know you get severe anxiety over scans, and you have one next week. You are looking good, bloodwork is all good, so try not to worry as much, and (paraphrasing as he said it in a not scary way) if anything were to come up, we would deal with it.

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    edited February 2021 #11
    rosie585 said:

    CEA

    My CEA went from 6 to 18 in 2 weeks. I was concerned because it tripled. The DR. moved my scan up and it showed no changes. The next blood test it went down. I get blood tests before each chemo treatment. The things I go to right away is the CEA number and the kidney function number because I had kidney cancer 20 years ago and I have only 1 kidney that isn't the number it should be.

    thank you for sharing that

    thank you for sharing that

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #12
    abita said:

    He didn't even mention the

    He didn't even mention the CEA. :) 
    He did say, I know you get severe anxiety over scans, and you have one next week. You are looking good, bloodwork is all good, so try not to worry as much, and (paraphrasing as he said it in a not scary way) if anything were to come up, we would deal with it.

    'Blood work is all good'

    I take that as meaning your CEA must be good, or good enough for your Doctor. 

    He sounds like a good, caring Doctor. 

    Tru

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,428 Member
    #13
    abita said:

    He didn't even mention the

    He didn't even mention the CEA. :) 
    He did say, I know you get severe anxiety over scans, and you have one next week. You are looking good, bloodwork is all good, so try not to worry as much, and (paraphrasing as he said it in a not scary way) if anything were to come up, we would deal with it.

    Good To See

    One of the many things I like at MSK is that all my doctors have the same approach.  Have some new tumors in my spine and we are watching a bit more - my doctor on this one "If it turns out to be something that I need to treat, I will go in and crush it."  Laughing

  • Chesnutmor
    Chesnutmor Member Posts: 4 Member
    edited March 2021 #14
    Hi..I am a little concerned

    Hi..I am a little concerned moms cea score increased from 5.3 to 5.6.  She is undergoing treatment at MSK.  Do you think something i need to be concerned.  She is undergoing oxplatain and f5 treatment.

    This is her third test since November.  First was 7.5, 5.3, and now 5.6.  She did not have treatment this day because her counts overall were too low but bounced back the following week,

     

    Jill

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #15
    Chesnutmor said:

    Hi..I am a little concerned

    Hi..I am a little concerned moms cea score increased from 5.3 to 5.6.  She is undergoing treatment at MSK.  Do you think something i need to be concerned.  She is undergoing oxplatain and f5 treatment.

    This is her third test since November.  First was 7.5, 5.3, and now 5.6.  She did not have treatment this day because her counts overall were too low but bounced back the following week,

     

    Jill

    Unreliable

    CEA can be unreliable during treatment.  My Oncologist didn't bother with CT scans or CEA while I was going through chemo. 

    In my opinion, if your mother's Oncologist is not concerned, then you don't need to be concerned - at this time.  When my CEA jumped, it went up by the tens and not by the tenths.  

    Just my opinon

    Tru

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    edited March 2021 #16
    And today, my CEA is down.

    And today, my CEA is down. Whew! and my scan was good, so yep, CEA wasn't an indicator of trouble. WHEW!

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #17
    Way to go, abita

    So happy to read this running around emoticon.

    Enjoy every moment of this good news. It can take you far. 

    Tru

  • myAZmountain
    myAZmountain Member Posts: 417 Member
    #18
    abita said:

    And today, my CEA is down.

    And today, my CEA is down. Whew! and my scan was good, so yep, CEA wasn't an indicator of trouble. WHEW!

    Terrific News!

    So glad to hear things are stable Abitia!! What a relief that is.

  • sgold88
    sgold88 Member Posts: 85 Member
    #19
    abita said:

    And today, my CEA is down.

    And today, my CEA is down. Whew! and my scan was good, so yep, CEA wasn't an indicator of trouble. WHEW!

    Amazing

    Great news to hear this. There are so many variables that can ebb and flow in this whole cancer journey. Every small change in any variable can lead to obscene amounts of stress but I'm glad to hear it was nothing to be concerned about in the end. 

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    edited March 2021 #20
    Thanks to all for helping me

    Thanks to all for helping me stay calm. Well, as calm as possible :) 

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