Stage IV - CEA Level/Liver Mets

jcavanaugh
jcavanaugh Member Posts: 100
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
For those of you who have had liver mets, can you give me information about the number of mets and your cea level at the time? Right now, my dad's cea level is extremely high for the first time and I just want to get a sense of what others have gone through. Thanks!!

Comments

  • rthornton
    rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
    #2
    When I had a recurrence in July, two liver mets showed up in CT/PET/MRI scans (and then during the resection the surgeon founds two more liver mets not detected by the scans), my CEA was 2.9. That's within the normal range. I've often been told that CEA is not, in itself, a reliable diagnostic tool.

    Rodney
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #3
    So far, the stuff on my liver is not officially classified as mets...just polyps...so, I have nothing to offer but good, strong, healthy vibes for both you and dad!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • Betsydoglover
    Betsydoglover Member Posts: 1,248 Member
    #4
    Hi -

    I am wishing the best for your Dad. CEA is not a diagnostic tool - just one "datapoint". Like Rodney says, you cannot correlate CEA with number of mets. For example, my CEA was <0.5 following colon surgery (and ever since) even though I had biopsy proven liver metastasis. So if you can have known met and essentially 0 CEA, then I think you can also have elevated CEA and not necessarily have increase in metastatic disease.

    Take care,
    Betsy
  • tennislover
    tennislover Member Posts: 64
    #5
    Hi There! When I was first diagnosed my CEA was 186. After my surgery on my colon it dropped to 79 before starting chemo. I was told that I had tumors covering about half of my liver plus some spots in my lungs. Just found out that I am in remission last week! I hope this helps!
  • lynn1222
    lynn1222 Member Posts: 105
    #6
    stage 4 rectal cancer here. i had 15 nodules in each lung and 2 mets on my liver.my cea at diagnosis was 22 today it is 2.5. i am in full remission now something the docs said i would never do. cea can rise and drop for thousands of different reasons dont pay a whole lot of attention to it. hope this helps. hugs to you and your dad.
  • AuthorUnknown
    AuthorUnknown Member Posts: 1,537 Member
    #7
    As others have said, don't take a lot of stock in CEA levels. After three months NED my hubby was found to have several liver spots with a CEA of around 28. It was only 28 when he was first dx'd in June 05. Our doctor does not depend of CEA levels and rarely checks these. There are many other tools that more accurate than CEA.

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