Just one more CEA question

[juliej]

One thing is for sure, this is not a favorable finding. Something bad is obviously brewing.

And when it shows its ugly little face, you'll kick its butt to kingdom come! Lock and load!

[kpjpmom]

Kenny,
I usually have run a normal cea level even with active cancer. Below 1 or at 1.
This time I had a cea of 216 and then 237 two days later.
Big jump for me
It had spread to the tailbone in my spine.
Positive for bone metastasis.
No more saying that cea does not predict cancer for me
I am bummed
Hope this helps.
KPJPMOM

[KWT]

Hey kp, sorry you had to find out Cea is now a marker for you. I guess I may be joining the club. What type of scan I uncovered the bone mets?

[MamaN]

Kenny
This stinks ! Butt I think a bone scan picks up bone mets . I sure hope this is not the case .

[kpjpmom]

Kenny,
CT scan and bone biopsy were what they used to confirm. Targeted the one area that was giving me fits. I kept pointing to lower spine, tailbone area...that is where the met was on the spine. Spine eroding and small cracks around the bone. The tumor is up in the spinal column and eating away. Causes much nerve pain and down the left leg. Feels like sciatica if you have ever had that. To hold the spine together they injected cement right after the bone biopsy to shore up the spine that had already been eaten. Radiation is to help shrink tumor off of root nerves that run in that area. Roots like legs and bowel and bladder funciton. I am paralyzed somewhat down there. I cannot feel when my bladder is full and well you know.......a river runs through it! LOL Gotta have some humor in these stinking situations. Also, having to stay on a bowel regimine now since I have to get that %^&* out of there. They are hopeful I will get these nerves back since they are peripheral nerves. Hope this helps and yes now cea is a marker for me after 4 years of not really being sure we were dealing with cancer.

[peanut_8]

KT, just a remember, it would be really unusual for you to get bone mets.

https://ispub.com/IJO/8/2/14324

Abstract
Distant metastases from colon cancer spread most frequently to the liver and the lung. Risk factors include positive lymph nodes and high grade tumors.Colorectal cancer is the 3rd leading cause of cancer related death in the world. Death is usually associated with recurrence and metastasis. Skeletal metastasis in primary colorectal carcinoma is an uncommon event. When such an event occurs it is usually a late manifestation of the disease. Isolated skeletal metastasis from primary colonic carcinoma is a rare event with incidence of 1.1% of all metastases from colonic cancers 3. The most common presenting symptom of skull metastases is a visible, localized swelling of skull produced by growing tumor that erodes outer table. Metastasis to bone gives rise to osteolysis or mixed osteolysis – osteoblastic appearance on radiography.


So rare, that it happens in 1.1% of cases. And there are symptoms which you don't seem to have.
best regards, p nut

[KWT]

Kp, sounds like a rough road, I hope you get the nerves back.

Thanks p, at this point I don't think anything would surprise me.

[kpjpmom]

Kenny
I do not have lung or liver involvement at this time. So I guess I am in that 1 percent that peanut speaks of. My cancer has been found always in the left side it just decided to go to the bone first lots of hard questions to ask the oncologist next week about QOL. Take care.
Kpjpmom

[peanut_8]

kpjpmom , I'm so sorry to hear about your bone mets. I've been following your story, and really hope the radiation treatments give you relief from your pain and other problems.
all the best, peanut

[KWT]

Kenny
I do not have lung or liver involvement at this time. So I guess I am in that 1 percent that peanut speaks of. My cancer has been found always in the left side it just decided to go to the bone first lots of hard questions to ask the oncologist next week about QOL. Take care.
Kpjpmom

I hear you, the stats don't mean much to those afflicted. I wonder what the stats say about getting this under 50? I hope your pain issue can be resolved.

[momof3]

Apparently my husband is in that 1% too...maybe we should play the lottery. I always wonder though, how do they determine that 1%? Those are just the reported cases. What about all of the other people that just hear from their doctor, wow this is strange, this never happens. My husband doctor constantly says how unusual his case is. I said well shouldn't it be written up then.

[KWT]

Hell mo3, it's all strange to me, it would have been nice to get another twenty out of this body before it goes to the bone pile.

[KWT]

So I had a pet scan and it showed nothing we didn't already know, So I guess that's good. Cea results tomorrow. My Cea started going up in January so that's about four months and the largest met increase was 2mm but he's saying that my disease is progressing and need to change chemo.

[iitg.ritesh]

Very happy for you kenny, was waiting for your pet result with fingures crossed. I think your CEA increase is from poison oak

[lpas]

That sounds like good news, Kenny. So glad you finally got the doctor to order a scan. Hopefully your CEA will cooperate and come back down now that the poison oak is gone...