cea

grandma713
grandma713 Member Posts: 105
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hi everyone,
its been a while since i have posted. Life seems to go by so fast! I have a new question... I am a 6 year survivor..Stage II B only had surgery. My CEA before surgery was .4 Since surgery it has fluctuated from .9 to as high as 1.9 6 months ago. However my last test revealed 2.1. We are doing a re-test and should get the answers back this week and all other blood levels were normal. Should I request a CT scan if the levels are still at 2.1 or some other tests? Thanks again everyone...

Comments

  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #2
    cea
    I'll bet every onc and doc are different...mine don't blink an eye under 4...however yours is rising slightly. Some oncs I've had won't even do cea...they say it is so unreliable and variable. Let's see what others think.

    Six years....congrats to you, well done.

    mags
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #3
    CEA fluctuation
    Hi Debbie,

    2.1 is definitely still within the "normal" limit. I believe 2.5 and under is considered normal & up to 3.5 if you're a smoker. Interestingly, I noticed on the last labwork I received back that the normal guidelines actually said up to 3.5 is normal, which is different than the 2.5 it used to say. There are other factors that can make CEA rise or fluctuate other than just cancer activity. If you had surgery recently, were ill with a flu or even a cold, that can supposedly make your CEA temporarily go up. A 2.1 is definitely still normal, so I would not worry. Do keep watching it up though, if it starts to go above the normal zone. Know, also, that CEA is not always an accurate predicter of cancerous activity in everyone. It has proven to be accurate in me, so I know that when mine goes up (as it currently is now at 14.7), it is going up for a reason and that there's probably something going on in me (I'm getting scanned to check it on Nov 30). But, in some people, they've had a normal CEA level even when they had active cancer & others have an elevated CEA when they can't find anything wrong. I guess only your history with the CEA will let you and your doctor know if it's an accurate marker for you.

    Requesting a CT, however, if it would put your mind at ease, might not be a bad idea just to follow up anyhow. If something did show up on the CT, then they should also follow up with a PET scan to see if it's cancerous. You could actually just request a PET/CT first up- that might be the best route. It never hurts to check, especially if it's been awhile since your last scan. Don't worry too much, though- your CEA is definitely still within normal limits.

    Hugs,
    Lisa
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #4
    maglets said:

    cea
    I'll bet every onc and doc are different...mine don't blink an eye under 4...however yours is rising slightly. Some oncs I've had won't even do cea...they say it is so unreliable and variable. Let's see what others think.

    Six years....congrats to you, well done.

    mags

    Nothing but CEA for me.....
    No scans, only bloodwork and CEA...Im sure if the CEA gets above 3 or 4 they will order a scan (or I will)...
  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg Member Posts: 731
    #5
    I concur with Lisa. 2.1 is
    I concur with Lisa. 2.1 is in the normal range, so it's nothing to be concerned about (even it it has risen). Mine's been up and down, from 3.5 to 0.4, over the last 4 years. My lab currently counts 3.0 or less as normal.

    --Greg
  • Kathryn_in_MN
    Kathryn_in_MN Member Posts: 1,252 Member
    #6
    My labs have the "normal"
    My labs have the "normal" range for everything listed on them, as well as what I test at.

    It shows 3 as within normal for CEA.

    My CEA was 2 after surgery, but keeps rising and was up to 8 two weeks ago the day I started chemo. I don't think they worry much when it moves around a little, but they do worry about constant upward trends.

    If you are under 3, I wouldn't be concerned unless there are other issues going on and/or your oncologist is concerned. Maybe ask to recheck teh CEA in 3 months again, instead of waiting 6?
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #7
    Kathryn_in_MN said:

    My labs have the "normal"
    My labs have the "normal" range for everything listed on them, as well as what I test at.

    It shows 3 as within normal for CEA.

    My CEA was 2 after surgery, but keeps rising and was up to 8 two weeks ago the day I started chemo. I don't think they worry much when it moves around a little, but they do worry about constant upward trends.

    If you are under 3, I wouldn't be concerned unless there are other issues going on and/or your oncologist is concerned. Maybe ask to recheck teh CEA in 3 months again, instead of waiting 6?

    under 5
    I was 175 after colorectal surgery, then dropped to about 70, the in the thirtys on chemo, had my liver resection and dropped to 2, that is where have been since. MY ONC said anything under 5 is normal and for me, anything above 5 would be an indication of some activity.

    good luck to you
  • shrevebud
    shrevebud Member Posts: 105
    #8
    Cea
    Hi Grandma:

    I would not worry if I had a CEA as low as yours. Mine is over 500 and I'm back on chemotherapy, plus I've had some new involvement with the beginnings of cancer in my lungs, so we're sure my high-level is due to all this cancer activity in my body - the reaction of the body to the cancer. If it continues to increase - that would be cause for concern. I'll be glad when I can get mine re-tested, but my oncologist said my insurance would most likely not pay for it just yet, so we are going to wait until I complete 2 or 3 more cycles - I anticipate that it will have dropped some. I don't worry about it being so high because there are other lab values that are out of whack so I try to look at the complete picture and not just focus on one number that might be out of range. Hope this gives you another perspective to think over. Take care and be well. Roy
  • amyboston
    amyboston Member Posts: 91
    #9
    CEA
    I still don't completely understand CEA. Mine was a 1.0 I believe that's what my doctor said.
    But she didn't explain what it really meant, she just said it was normal. When I asked, normal for a person with cancer, or without. She said without.

    Can anyone explain it better. I am really bad at the sciences, chemistry and such.

    blessings,
    Amy
  • grandma713
    grandma713 Member Posts: 105
    #10
    amyboston said:

    CEA
    I still don't completely understand CEA. Mine was a 1.0 I believe that's what my doctor said.
    But she didn't explain what it really meant, she just said it was normal. When I asked, normal for a person with cancer, or without. She said without.

    Can anyone explain it better. I am really bad at the sciences, chemistry and such.

    blessings,
    Amy

    Thanks everyone. I
    Thanks everyone. I absolutely love this site. You guys have been with me every step of this journey and I cant thank you enough. over the past 4 years, we have lost some of my buddies, but there are many of us out here who are still fighting the fight and being thankful for every day that God gives us.

    I'll let you know if I hear anything different.
    You guys are the best
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #11
    to Roy-monthly CEA testing
    Hi Roy,
    FYI- It's considered standard to test the CEA level monthly while on active treatment. My insurance pays for that & I have an HMO, so I bet your insurance would pay for it at least monthly too. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

    Lisa
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #12
    Everyone has their own "normal"
    When my CEA goes up even slightly, like it did over the past 2-3 months, from 2.4 to 3.7 it means something is up. Some people have a higher normal for them so this would not be a good indicator for them. My onc has noticed, as did I, that a change raises a red flag.

    What does your Oncologist have to say about this?
    What has you history with CEA been?

    I'd look into those things and take it from there. I'd rather err on the side of taking the test and not have needed it than to have needed it and not taken it.
    All the best
    -p

    One other note, my Oncologist is not real keen on having her patients know their CEA counts. She feels that there is too much emphasis put on it and that it can cause unnecessary anxiety. I agree with her, that is really her field to interpret what MY CEA means to ME and my cancer.
  • grandma713
    grandma713 Member Posts: 105
    #13
    PhillieG said:

    Everyone has their own "normal"
    When my CEA goes up even slightly, like it did over the past 2-3 months, from 2.4 to 3.7 it means something is up. Some people have a higher normal for them so this would not be a good indicator for them. My onc has noticed, as did I, that a change raises a red flag.

    What does your Oncologist have to say about this?
    What has you history with CEA been?

    I'd look into those things and take it from there. I'd rather err on the side of taking the test and not have needed it than to have needed it and not taken it.
    All the best
    -p

    One other note, my Oncologist is not real keen on having her patients know their CEA counts. She feels that there is too much emphasis put on it and that it can cause unnecessary anxiety. I agree with her, that is really her field to interpret what MY CEA means to ME and my cancer.

    This is good advice. I have
    This is good advice. I have my CEA taken every 6 months now. It has fluctuated from as low as .2 to what it was this last week, 2.1. Before my resection it was .4 since then it has been anywhere from .4 and up and down. I had it retested yesterday and am now waiting on the results. All the other bloodwork came back normal. Thanks for your help
  • shrevebud
    shrevebud Member Posts: 105
    #14
    lisa42 said:

    to Roy-monthly CEA testing
    Hi Roy,
    FYI- It's considered standard to test the CEA level monthly while on active treatment. My insurance pays for that & I have an HMO, so I bet your insurance would pay for it at least monthly too. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

    Lisa

    To Lisa
    Hi Lisa:

    Thanks for responding. I'll look into it. Take care. Roy

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