Update on CEA

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bdee
bdee Member Posts: 304
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Just got an update from my oncologist. My CEA went from 5.3 on January 18 to 6.1 on February 1. He told me to not start to worry, yet. How can I help worrying? My CEA has been in the 3's since my surgery last January.

Debbie in Arkansas

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  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #2
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    Debbie
    You are Stage IV, correct, and still having chemo? It might help if our sages knew a few more details.

    I'm certainly no help.
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #3
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    Like the man said... "don't start worrying"
    Here:
    "Assay, CEA: CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) is a protein found in many types of cells but associated with tumors and the developing fetus.

    CEA is tested in blood. The normal range is <2.5 ng/ml in an adult non-smoker and <5.0 ng/ml in a smoker.

    Benign conditions that can increase CEA include smoking, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and some benign tumors (in the same organs which have cancers with increased CEA). Benign disease does not usually cause a CEA increase over 10 ng/ml.

    The main use of CEA is as a tumor marker, especially with intestinal cancer. The most common cancers that elevate CEA are in the colon and rectum. Others: cancer of the pancreas, stomach, breast, lung, and certain types of thyroid and ovarian cancer. Levels over 20 ng/ml before therapy are associated with cancer which has already metastasized (spread).

    CEA is useful in monitoring the treatment of CEA-rich tumors. If the CEA is high before treatment, it should fall to normal after successful therapy. A rising CEA level indicates progression or recurrence of the cancer. <B>(Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can themselves cause a rise in CEA due to death of tumor cells and release of CEA into the blood stream but that rise is typically temporary).

    "Carcinoembryonic" reflects the fact that CEA is made by some cancers ("carcino-") and by the developing fetus ("-embryonic")."

    With credit to here:
    http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8715



    Good health to youse!


    John
  • papajedi
    papajedi Member Posts: 110
    #4
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    dianetavegia said:

    Debbie
    You are Stage IV, correct, and still having chemo? It might help if our sages knew a few more details.

    I'm certainly no help.

    Laugh
    Yeah right, I love my doc and onc but as a whole oncology is not to far from where it was 20 yrs ago.....BUT there are trials of new genetics/immune drugs that will change that:)
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #5
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    John23 said:

    Like the man said... "don't start worrying"
    Here:
    "Assay, CEA: CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) is a protein found in many types of cells but associated with tumors and the developing fetus.

    CEA is tested in blood. The normal range is <2.5 ng/ml in an adult non-smoker and <5.0 ng/ml in a smoker.

    Benign conditions that can increase CEA include smoking, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and some benign tumors (in the same organs which have cancers with increased CEA). Benign disease does not usually cause a CEA increase over 10 ng/ml.

    The main use of CEA is as a tumor marker, especially with intestinal cancer. The most common cancers that elevate CEA are in the colon and rectum. Others: cancer of the pancreas, stomach, breast, lung, and certain types of thyroid and ovarian cancer. Levels over 20 ng/ml before therapy are associated with cancer which has already metastasized (spread).

    CEA is useful in monitoring the treatment of CEA-rich tumors. If the CEA is high before treatment, it should fall to normal after successful therapy. A rising CEA level indicates progression or recurrence of the cancer. <B>(Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can themselves cause a rise in CEA due to death of tumor cells and release of CEA into the blood stream but that rise is typically temporary).

    "Carcinoembryonic" reflects the fact that CEA is made by some cancers ("carcino-") and by the developing fetus ("-embryonic")."

    With credit to here:
    http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=8715



    Good health to youse!


    John

    CEAs .....
    I wouldn't worry about a CEA level unless it doubled or tripled...Too many variables and it may not be a good marker at the very least. Don't borrow trouble...Positive thinking and plan for the future....way in the future....you got a lot of living to do yet......Love Hope and Cryo embrionic antigens....Buzz
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #6
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    Hold off on the worrying
    I wouldn't worry too much yet, especially since the oncologist is not worried. When will it be checked again? 3 months? Try to stay calm and be positive.

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • karguy
    karguy Member Posts: 1,020 Member
    #7
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    I wouldn't
    I wouldn't worry about it yet,last month was my 3rd cea check since surgery.The second time it was double from the first time,this time [3rd] was half of what it was last time.If your oncologist is not worried,then you shouldn't worry.I hope this helps.
  • AnnaLeigh
    AnnaLeigh Member Posts: 187 Member
    #8
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    CEA rises and falls from time to time
    My husband's CEA number has been all over the board. Our oncologist explained that chemo causes battle field conditions in the body and when so much destruction of cancer cells is going on, there will be battle dust and debris in the form of CEA numbers rising and falling. CEA is not a reliable indicator of how much cancer is occurring in the body. Only PET scans and MRI scans can determine the amount of cancer activity.

    Hope you are doing well with your treatment and not experiencing too many side effects.

    AnnaLeigh
  • bdee
    bdee Member Posts: 304
    #9
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    dianetavegia said:

    Debbie
    You are Stage IV, correct, and still having chemo? It might help if our sages knew a few more details.

    I'm certainly no help.

    Stage IV
    I'll have chemo for the rest of my life. My cancer is not operable or curable, but I was hoping it would stay stable for a few more years.
  • bdee
    bdee Member Posts: 304
    #10
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    tootsie1 said:

    Hold off on the worrying
    I wouldn't worry too much yet, especially since the oncologist is not worried. When will it be checked again? 3 months? Try to stay calm and be positive.

    *hugs*
    Gail

    CEA
    CEA will be checked every two weeks and next month another CT Scan (I just had one on January 28 which was stable).

    Debbie in Arkansas
  • bdee
    bdee Member Posts: 304
    #11
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    AnnaLeigh said:

    CEA rises and falls from time to time
    My husband's CEA number has been all over the board. Our oncologist explained that chemo causes battle field conditions in the body and when so much destruction of cancer cells is going on, there will be battle dust and debris in the form of CEA numbers rising and falling. CEA is not a reliable indicator of how much cancer is occurring in the body. Only PET scans and MRI scans can determine the amount of cancer activity.

    Hope you are doing well with your treatment and not experiencing too many side effects.

    AnnaLeigh

    Rise and fall
    I've had my cancer for a year and my CEA has been in the 3's for that year, not rising or falling. It has only started rising in the last month. I guess I'm worried, even though my doctor told me not to, is because he called and told me my new CEA. He has NEVER telephoned me in the year he has been treating me.

    Debbie in Arkansas
  • bdee
    bdee Member Posts: 304
    #12
    Options
    AnnaLeigh said:

    CEA rises and falls from time to time
    My husband's CEA number has been all over the board. Our oncologist explained that chemo causes battle field conditions in the body and when so much destruction of cancer cells is going on, there will be battle dust and debris in the form of CEA numbers rising and falling. CEA is not a reliable indicator of how much cancer is occurring in the body. Only PET scans and MRI scans can determine the amount of cancer activity.

    Hope you are doing well with your treatment and not experiencing too many side effects.

    AnnaLeigh

    Rise and fall
    Sorry, didn't mean to hit the post comment button twice.

    Debbie in Arkansas
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #13
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    bdee said:

    Rise and fall
    Sorry, didn't mean to hit the post comment button twice.

    Debbie in Arkansas

    Debbie Buttons
    Re:
    "I'm worried, even though my doctor told me not to, is because he
    called and told me my new CEA. He has NEVER telephoned me in the
    year he has been treating me. "

    Maybe he just wanted to get to know you better.


    Seriously, they usually don't call to tell you the bad news, they
    don't tell you anything but to come in. I'd take it as "ok" news,
    and be happy. As someone else said: "Don't borrow worry"


    (just quit hittin' that comment button for no reason)


    Stay well; be happy!


    John

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