liver enzymes; dose reduction; rising CEA on chemo

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liver enzymes; dose reduction; rising CEA on chemo

Postby guest » Thu Mar 02, 2006 8:06 pm

Has anyone had this experience? My liver enzymes have been out of whck twice during chemo (once after the 3rd treatment and now after the 6th). Both times the docotr has held treatment for one week and then reduced the oxaliplatin.
Does anyone know if the dose reduction impacts the effectiveness of treatment or is this just the way doctors know when the dose is correct?
Also: CEA pre-surgery in September was 4.0, post-surgery it was 1.6. The oncologist has checked it every two weeks since with results of 2.1, 2.6, 3.1, 2.9, 3.5, 4.0 and last week it was 4.9
She kept saying not to worry unless it continued to rise and then not until it was double digits. She said treatment would not change.
Today she called and said that she has scheduled a CT scan for tomorrow and a PET scan for Saturday.
Everything I read seems to indicate that a rising CEA means that there are cancer cells somewhere and that it can predate clinical evidence of cancer by several months.
I was Stage IIIA with a sigmoid resection in October 05 with 2 lymph nodes positive. I'm currently on 5-FU, leukovoran, avastin and oxyaliplatin. Hae completed 6 of 12 cycles.
Any input? Ideas? Words of wisdom? Similiar stories with positive results?

Guest

Postby Guest » Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:52 pm

From my Doctors anything under 5 CEA is okay If you smoke the CEA can go up and down. From all my research if your CEA is on a steady rise and goes up to 100 ... 200 etc I think that is cause for concern. As for the elevated Liver Functions that happened to me a few times during Chemo, and we had to take a break just like low blood counts everybody reacts different just keep an eye on how you feel if you notice big changes tell your Doctor immediately. They know what to look for when they do your blood work but they don't know how you feel. Good Luck. Be well.


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