cea & CT scans !!!

[ldskas]

Hi

Mum finished her chemo back in Jan and has been feeling great ever since. We went and saw her oncologist and surgeon in Feb and they both said no scan until June. She had her first scan when first diagnosed so this will really be her first one since surgery and chemo finishing. She had her blood test which showed a rise in her CEA which we have no idea what it was before, during or even after chemo. Her oncologist phoned her today to say to bring forward the CT scan to next Wednesday due to the rise but said not to worry. Typical of them to say 'not to worry' as this is all I have thought about all day and I am sure all week till next Wednesday.

Just venting as I am sure I will have some sleepless nights ahead of me.

[Guest]

Thought about it all last night and researched heaps of topics. Does a rise in cea always mean a reoccurence is just around the corner???? Mum did have a cold at the time of the blood test is it correct in thinking that these may have had a impact on the CEA results???????

[joeyooser]

Sorry to hear about the stress and bad news. A rise in CEA is not always a sign of recurrence, but several consecutive rises would certainly hint at it. If it's just one reading, they should do another after a period of time and see what it says.

Good luck!

[John72]

It's an indicator and not 100% no matter what.

I just finished my chemo and today the oncologist told me I will not have any scan until six months from now.

He said that my CEA's have been almost nothing ever since my surgery and he doesn't want to do scans if they are not necessary.

He also heavily emphasized that the CEA tests are not anywhere near 100% and a high test doesn't necessarily mean cancer is detected. Likewise, a low CEA does not mean that cancer is not present.

[Terry]

CEA is not a reliable indicator for everyone. Your mom should know what her CEA was from the first test until now. I have my CEA drawn every 3 weeks while on chemo, for me it has been a very good indicator. After my first treatment was finished my onc. drew my CEA at follow ups which I think was every 3 months, after it doubled we suspected it was back, and it was. Mine has gone up by tenths of a point and by a point and then the next time gone back down. This is why it's important to get your results (for all of your tests) so you can look at the trend and see if it's reliable for you. It almost sounds like your mom has only had 2 drawn, is that correct? I know things are different in different countries but your mom having a scan last July, going through chemo and not getting another one until this July is concerning. How do they know the chemo worked? I think most of us had a scan right after chemo was done, if not even sooner to see if the chemo was working.

Your mom is in my prayers.
Terry