CEA Trending Up

[Badass]

Saw Dr. K. yesterday and she said everything was great. My CT was clean...she is keeping her eye on lung thingies that have been stable for a long time but I am not too worried about those.
This morning I woke up to a new lab result. My CEA which was has been 1.3, moved to 1.5 in May and now is at 2.0. It is probably too soon to make anything of this but I have a terrible sense of dread. It was up a tiny bit last month too at my home oncologists office.

Jane

[lauragb]

I'm hoping this is nothing Jane, but sorry to read you have a worry.

Laura

[Guinevere]

I, too, am hoping that the rise ends up not amounting to a hill if beans, Jane. I'm also glad to see you posting!

God bless ~
Gwen

[mymom]

Hi. Dr. K never discusses CEA with us. She told us once in her lovely way if I don't mention it, don't worry about it. So if she didn't mention try to not worry. thinking of you.

[mom_2_3]

Jane,

Sorry you are feeling anxiety. It is more important to look at a trend but even then, it may not mean anything at all. I posted below all of my CEA results from the past 5 1/2 years. I stopped chemo in November 2009. Last time I spoke to Dr. K she did mention that CEAs were all coming back higher, that something must have changed in the lab. I hope my posting of my CEA's will reassure you in some way. You can see I have had a few jumps and then the number would go down and then up and then down and so on. My scans have shown clear since my surgery in Feb 2009.

HTH,
Amy

6/23/2014 3.3 ng/ml
4/28/2014 3.5 ng/ml
3/3/2014 3.0 ng/ml
1/6/2014 2.9 ng/ml
11/4/2013 3.0 ng/ml
9/9/2013 2.8 ng/ml
7/15/2013 3.3 ng/ml
5/20/2013 3.2 ng/ml
3/25/2013 2.8 ng/ml
1/28/2013 3.0 ng/ml
12/3/2012 2.8 ng/ml
10/8/2012 2.7 ng/ml
8/22/2012 2.9 ng/ml
6/25/2012 2.6 ng/ml
5/2/2012 3.3 ng/ml
3/5/2012 2.7 ng/ml
1/9/2012 2.2 ng/ml
11/28/2011 2.5 ng/ml
10/19/2011 2.0 ng/ml
9/26/2011 2.6 ng/ml
8/8/2011 2.7 ng/ml
6/13/2011 2.4 ng/ml
4/18/2011 2.5 ng/ml
3/7/2011 2.4 ng/ml
1/24/2011 2.1 ng/ml
12/13/2010 2.3 ng/ml
11/1/2010 2.3 ng/ml
9/20/2010 2.4 ng/ml
8/9/2010 2.2 ng/ml
7/12/2010 2.5 ng/ml
6/14/2010 2.6 ng/ml
5/10/2010 2.5 ng/ml
4/26/2010 2.6 ng/ml
4/12/2010 2.6 ng/ml
3/29/2010 2.3 ng/ml
3/10/2010 2.4 ng/ml
2/22/2010 2.1 ng/ml
2/8/2010 2.2 ng/ml
1/25/2010 2.3 ng/ml
1/11/2010 2.8 ng/ml
12/28/2009 2.8 ng/ml
12/14/2009 3.2 ng/ml
12/2/2009 3.2 ng/ml
11/18/2009 2.5 ng/ml
11/2/2009 2.2 ng/ml
10/26/2009 2.2 ng/ml
10/12/2009 2.2 ng/ml
10/5/2009 2.5 ng/ml
9/28/2009 2.5 ng/ml
9/14/2009 2.1 ng/ml
8/31/2009 2.4 ng/ml
8/24/2009 2.6 ng/ml
8/17/2009 2.7 ng/ml
8/3/2009 2.2 ng/ml
7/20/2009 2.4 ng/ml
7/13/2009 2.5 ng/ml
6/29/2009 2.0 ng/ml
6/15/2009 2.5 ng/ml
6/1/2009 2.5 ng/ml
5/18/2009 2.4 ng/ml
5/4/2009 2.6 ng/ml
4/28/2009 3.1 ng/ml
4/20/2009 3.6 ng/ml
4/6/2009 3.7 ng/ml
3/23/2009 5.6 ng/ml
3/9/2009 11.8 ng/ml
2/9/2009 102.7 ng/ml
1/26/2009 164.0 ng/ml
1/12/2009 270.5 ng/ml
12/8/2008 318.7 ng/ml
11/19/2008 283.6 ng/ml

[CM35]

Jane, I had an appt with Dr. K two weeks ago, and my CEA has been creeping up since May, too. However, she still described it as "not really doing anything" and that she is not concerned about it. If she said you are doing great, believe her! . I know it's almost impossible not to worry, though... It seems like as soon as I have one scan, even when it's good, the next day I am already worried about the next one... That being said, I am so happy to hear you had a great scan!

Colleen

[Badass]

Thank you so much everybody for all of your responses. Just to clarify, when Dr. K. said everything looked great, I don't think she had the CEA result. It was kind of confusing because I thought I saw the result on line yesterday and it read 1.3, but I got an email today from MYMSKCC that said I had a new lab result and that's when I saw the CEA 2.0
Last year, my CEA rose very little when I had my liver met but prior to that it had been rock stable-- never jumped around. So my home oncologist thinks a PET scan would be a good idea while Dr. K's nurse said Dr. K. is unconcerned. I think I will go ahead with the PET just because this is too much like a replay of last summer, but of course I am trying to stay optimistic.

Laura- so great to hear from you! How are you?

Mom2Three- Thanks for sharing all of your numbers. So great that you have been NED so long. Very inspiring!
Colleen, I wish Dr. K. had told me that labs were coming in higher lately. That would have been VERY reassuring. Thanks for sharing that.

Gwen, I have been thinking of you a lot lately and wanted to start a thread called, "There's a person inside of me crying." That's a very apt and poetic line I got from you and it is so exactly like my experience and I am guessing many others'.

Jane

[lauragb]

Jane, I'm glad you're getting the PET. You know your body. I am hoping you get the answer you and we want to see! Me, I'm doing well and feeling good. I'm still seeing a PT for adhesions but other than that, this is the first time since diagnosis I'm not dealing with anything else such as blood counts, etc. it feels good to feel good and I want to see this for you! Keep us posted.

Laura

[hart2hart]

Hi Jane -

Pete's CEA ALWAYS fluctuates with Dr. Kemeny's office.

Last visit was 3.5......two months earlier it was 5.5. Before that 3.9. And yes, I freaked-out.
His local ONCS readings are always 1.6 or less........Go figure?

What she told Pete is that some people fluctuate from month to month and she is not worried. I try not to worry
but I know it's hard. She told Pete as long as she doesn't see a significant rise every month NOT TO worry.
He had a scan last Wednesday and we won't know the results until this Wednesday. Man, that is a tough wait.

Jane, go for the scan as you are - It will put your worries to rest. We love ya Jane!




Julie and Pete

[BrownBagger]

Mine's all over the board, close as I can tell. But as Mymom says, Kemeny never mentions it, and I take that as a good sign.

It's a little confusing because my local onc's office uses the other CEA protocol, which produces a lower number for the same result. So I don't even bother to check it anymore.

[Badass]

Thanks, all. It seems to be a consensus that this is just within the normal swing of things and that is so reassuring. It was my oncologist who suggested the PET scan and, honestly, my CEA barely moves so this is a huge jump for me...and that is what happened when my liver met was found. I would just as soon have the PET for either peace of mind or an early jump on a met.

Jane

[Badass]

PET scan yesterday. Oncologist called today. "How are you?" I ask. "Fine. And so are you."

[smudgesicle]

Woot! Love good news. Congrats on a great scan!

[Delinda]

What wonderful news!! Soooo happy for you! Funny doc.

[pfCml73183]

Great news...now go out and celebrate!!!