CEAs

Hi. It's important you understand that CEA is not a great marker for everyone . It's useful, but it's only one piece of the puzzle. My husband had multiple liver mets, but when first dx his CEA was "only" 10. Yet some people have CEA in the hundreds with only one liver met. It's a helpful test to determine if treatment is working or if there is a possible reoccurrence. If you believe your doctor is not telling you something, you probably should seek another opinion. You need to have confidence in your oncologist, but I am a BIG advocate of getting a second opinion and exploring ALL options, even if they are not available to you currently, that does not mean they never will be. Also, don't pay attention to statistics. Most are outdated and there have been many advances in chemo regimens that have proved successful outcomes. It's good that your researching previous posts. I urge you to also read personal web pages and create one of your own. God Bless and I know how scary a stage IV dx is, but keep the faith. There are many survivors here and you'll learn a lot of valuable information, but be sure you ask your ONC a lot of questions and are satisfied with the answers.
God Bless
Diane

Hi cj,
In my case my CEA was the highest at 40 when my liver met was discovered. When I was first diagnosed it was like 1.8 or something...Now I am NED and it is less than 0.5. The thing is, every time I had a problem (liver met, lung mets) my CEA rose. I was always told that CEA is a good indicator for me just because when there has been a problem in the past it has gone up.
Some people have CEAs in the hundreds, like yourself. The main thing is whether it is increasing or decreasing. I have also been told that chemo can cause a temporary rise in the CEA. So, like the others have said it is just one diagnostic tool. Basically though, I would say, if your CEA is high, there is probably cancer left somewhere in your body.
I hope that helps,
Susan H.

My onc told me that anything below 5 on a CEA is considered normal. My CEA has always been a marker for me. CEA blood work is used on colon cancer and also lung cancer as one of the markers. Some people CEA's don't show or tell them anything. Mine does.

dolphinsfly said:

Don't mean to sound ignorant here...But what in the heck is a CEA??

to keep it simple, it's a blood test given when cancer is suspected or known and a rise or fall in CEA may indicate progression or vice versa or a possible reoccurance . It can be an indication of how well a chemo regimen is or isn't working . You can check the resource library or do an internet search for the true technical definition , but in very simplified terms that's about the size of it. It's not an end all be all though, just a piece of the puzzle. If there is a rise in CEA , more thorough tests are generally done, i.e. pet, ct, mri etc. Normal is usually below 5. Smokers have slightly elevated cea's also . Hope this helps. Take care.

cjf2006

you have received valuable information about CEA. When hubby and I started this journey, we had no clue what all these things meant. Though this site, we have gained so much. Keep reading! I find it easier to understand the docs information because of what I have learned here. Is is also a wonderful place to receive hope and encouragement. All the NED people here bring so much hope and help.

At first the onc did not monitor the CEA as closely as he does now. Currently, the numbers allow him to access when treatment is working or needs to be changed. We have just begun Erbitux. The onc said that CEA may increase a little at the beginning of the treatment. My husband had been on Xeloda for several months. When the CEA levels began to climb over a couple of months, we knew the drug was no longer working.(Without having additional CT or PET scans) The highest level to date has been 202. That was up from 19 in October 2007.

As others have suggested, talk to your doctor. Some doctors are easier to approach than others but now is the time to ask questions. We are so blessed to have a doctor who is patient and willing to answer any and all questions. That is important to me. This doctor/patient relationship is one that you will have for a long time. Feeling free to ask questions and talk to the doctor is vital in my opinion.

Trusting the person taking care of you is one of the key components in your treatment.

Keep reading and asking questions.

i have a similar question.female 57 years old stage 4 met colon cancer. i had one chemo treatment which almost killed me, my colon perforated and small instine ruptured. multiple cancer Doctors told me No treatment options will work and less than 3 months. i have a 2.5 in tumor in colon by retum and another on liver with growing tumors in my lungs.

im taking a holistic pet drugs off amazon which treat cancer like a parasite. used to treat animals. Artemisinin, Anthelmintic and Boticide, Fenbend zole.

my cea is 1395 and 4.7 nl is this still high? im having private blood monitoring to see if my cea comes down. what level of confidence should i have in my doctors prognosis and in the hololistc drugs. should i prepare for the worst?

I can see that you haven't been back on the forum since you posted this, but I'll reply, non-the-less.

I hope you are being monitored by a Doctor, while taking these Amazon animal drugs. It sounds rather dangerous, to me.

And to answer your last question; with Cancer, it is always best to prepare for the worst, like getting your affairs in order, but it is also important to believe you can be the one who beats it. So, hope for the best while preparing for the worse. That is my advice.

Tru