The usual follow up for Stage III is CT or other imagining and CEA every 6 months for up to 5 years. I think not scanning was a huge mistake on your doctor's part. The massive spread could have been prevented if he/ she had done scans on a regular basis. I'm so sorry to hear of your mother's spread....

My CEA jumped from 2.9 to 5.8 last fall and I asked for my thyroid to be checked. I was hypothyroid which causes a false high CEA. After 4 months on meds for my thyroid, my CEA dropped OVER 50%. They JUST got my thyroid to a normal/ healthy level this month. Might ask the doctor to check TSH levels.

I had emergency gall bladder surgery during FOLFOX! I'd never had symptoms prior to that either. My gall bladder pain was in my right side/ back. I thought it was muscle cramps but one night I went to the ER twice for the pain (All my children were natural childbirth and I have a high tolerance for ...

I'm sorry that I didn't see the question earlier. About the CEA rise 4 to 8 months before a met can be found, mine had gone to 3.9 to 4.1, then 6.4 when my liver met was found. It was 8.5 on the day of my hepatic resection. Please be checked for hypothyroid. My CEA jumped to 5.8 this past Oct. and a...

BTW, I'm not sure which side of Atlanta you're on, but I'm in Villa Rica and if you're near and need help in anyway, please let me know. As well as a Stage IV survivor, I'm a trained and certified Cancer Care Minister.

Diane

This is just heartbreaking. In 9 years, I've never heard of anyone with so much spread.
My prayers will be for you to find comfort and pain control and that whomever you choose to treat you is honest and allows you to choose what to do.

Diane

Diagnosed during a colonoscopy (partial obstruction had made me very ill) on 1/2/2009. Stage IIIB for 3 years. In April it will be 6 years since my liver resection. http://www.justalittletalk.com/2018/01/nine-years-ago-today/ You go, girl. You are such an ongoing inspiration to me, and one of the p...

My (limited) understanding of Cologuard is that it's a good test for a primary tumor in the colon or rectum but it won't indicate post-treatment metastisis since the sample is taken from cells within the G.I. tract. Isn't the CEA test strictly for mets? My CEA was 1.1 with my primary rectal tumor i...

Save money! Check out Modified Citrus Pectin which comes as a nasty powder, so I mixed it in Applesauce until it dissolved and used it for about four years. It cost about $60 on Amazon. It MUST BE MODIFIED to be absorbed properly in the intestine. Effects of daily oral administration of quercetin ch...

I'm KRAS mutant and have been in remission since 2009. See my signature - it is possible. Hi betsydoglover— Could you share what your specific KRAS mutation is? Also, is it MSS or MSI? I’m happy to hear you’re in remission! Fantastic! Thanks for the extra info! Sharing Hope, 9 years ago they only t...

My husband almost died in June of last year and then had another bout of sepsis the end of August. His was thought to be caused by exposure to black mold while he was visiting a sister in Oregon who lives on the river and her home floods several times a year. We were told he had a 30% chance of maki...

Mine did and it was a false positive. A year ago my CEA was around 2.9 or 3.1. It has never been lower than 2.4 in 9 years. Six months later it was 5.8. I'd read that hypothyroid can cause false positives and since my scans were clear, I asked for blood work and sure enough, my TSH showed I was hypo...

I don't know if I fit your question, but..... I was Stage III in Jan. 2009 and had my colon resection and 6 months FOLFOX. In April 2012 I had a 1.5 cm liver met removed (80% of my liver) but NO FOLLOW UP CHEMO. That's 6 years since my liver resection with no recurrences. Stats show that at 6 1/2 ye...

Thanks and congrats on the good news!

Diane

CT/ MRI Cancelled! My CEA dropped over 50%, well into the normal range, and my cholesterol all dropped, too. My TSH had shown hypothyroidism and my scans 5 months ago were all clear. I've been on thyroid meds since the test in November and studies have shown that hypothyroidism is a well known caus...