CEA as a marker

mikew42
mikew42 Member Posts: 114
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I just found out from my oncologist Friday that my CEA after colon surgery was 1.0 although I had two small mets to the liver (one was removed for a biopsy and confirmed as cancer). I met with my surgical oncologist yesterday and he wants to leave the other met on the liver to see how chemo will work (I start friday with the 5-FU, Camptosar, Leucovorin and will be his first patient using Avastin). My oncologist is very positive and has talked with my surgical oncologist about wether he will still remove it when he kills it with chemo.

My question is this, does anyone else have the type of cancer that doesn't produce CEA? If so, what do you use as a marker to see if the chemo is working?

Comments

  • Lisa Rose
    Lisa Rose Member Posts: 597 Member
    #2
    Hi Mikew42,

    My tumour never produced arise in my CEA . My Dr uses a CA19-9 for a marker, and we also follow it up with abdominal ultrasound.

    Lisa
  • KrisS
    KrisS Member Posts: 229
    #3
    Lisa Rose said:

    Hi Mikew42,

    My tumour never produced arise in my CEA . My Dr uses a CA19-9 for a marker, and we also follow it up with abdominal ultrasound.

    Lisa

    My CEA, C19-9 and all other tumor markers have been negative, despite development of progressive metastatic disease, so CT and occasionally PET scans are used.

    Kris
  • KrisS
    KrisS Member Posts: 229
    #4
    Lisa Rose said:

    Hi Mikew42,

    My tumour never produced arise in my CEA . My Dr uses a CA19-9 for a marker, and we also follow it up with abdominal ultrasound.

    Lisa

    My CEA, C19-9 and all other tumor markers have been negative, despite development of progressive metastatic disease, so CT and occasionally PET scans are used.

    Kris
  • 2bhealed
    2bhealed Member Posts: 2,064
    #5
    hi Mike,

    My tumor did not give off markers either so I was told they would not really know if the chemo was working. Was one of the reasons I decided against the chemo.

    I have twice yearly CT and PET to monitor as well as colonoscopies. We always do blood work anyway though.

    peace, emily
  • nettie4
    nettie4 Member Posts: 145
    #6
    Hi
    my cea level never helped either. my oncologist uses ct and i will get a PET later. even with a recurrence, which is what is going on with me, still no help in cea.

    nettie
  • Lisa Rose
    Lisa Rose Member Posts: 597 Member
    #7
    Hi Mikew42,
    Due to the fact I never had arise in Cea we due the CA19-9. I am not sure if this marker was even looked at prior to surgery. In the past year and a half we have been watching it and it varies at all times a point or two here and there. We do the regular Blood Chemistry to watch for my liver. The CEA is still being watched because it could still rise in a recurrence ( so I was told). Each year I have had a Sigmoidoscopy & Colonoscopy , barium enema , chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasounds. On my first anniversary I had a follow up Ct scan. Here in Canada on less they see some reason through the other checks they won't give a follow up scan. Believe I would feel better if they did! But I feel great anyway!!!

    Lisa
  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565
    #8
    Hi, Mike -

    As with the ladies, my CEA level didn't indicate disease either. My onc didn't discuss CA19-9 as a marker with me. Food for thought for me!

    Be well.

    - SpongeBob

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