CEA a factor after 16 years?

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Hapa
Posts: 388
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 2:46 pm

CEA a factor after 16 years?

Postby Hapa » Fri Jun 17, 2016 12:19 pm

DH has been in the fight since 2000. In 2000 he had a colectomy & permanent ileostomy because of UC
2012- Stage 3 C rectal- surgery, chemo/rad, chemo
2014- Lung Met with SUV of 22- vats no chemo

During all of this his CEA has been <.5. We switched oncologist & labs. Recent blood work shows 6.3 CEA

It is hard to believe that in 16 years CEA has never been a factor. Now, all of a sudden 6.3? I know inflammation etc can cause elevations but this seems pretty high to me (from nothing to 6.3)

So, does this mean the beast is lurking someplace & hasn't shown it's ugly self? He had a cat scan a couple of weeks ago with NED results. next cat scan in September. Of course oncologist says "don't worry about it- we will just keep an eye on it" So easy for them to say...

Thanks for your thoughts.
DH Stage 3 RC

midlifemom
Posts: 1358
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:58 am
Location: NJ

Re: CEA a factor after 16 years?

Postby midlifemom » Fri Jun 17, 2016 3:09 pm

Different labs use different scales for CEA.
Check what the norm range is for the new lab.
Stage 3 cc - dx Jan '14 age 53, cea 2.9
t2n2m0, KRAS mutant, MSS
Folfox Feb - Aug '14
Nov '14 cea 27.7 -2 liver masses
Dec '14 left lobectomy and HAI
Jan '15 FUDR and FOLFIRI
Aug '15 fudr done, liver clear, add avastin for lungs. Cea 4.3
Feb '16 CEA rising
May '16 2 wk break then drop Iri for 6 weeks.
Jul '16 cancer grew, constricted main bile duct. Stent inserted. On break till jaundice clears. CEA climbing. Doing reduced Folfox. Allergic to Oxali.
Sep'16 chemo failed. Trial or hospice?

Nik Colon

Re: CEA a factor after 16 years?

Postby Nik Colon » Fri Jun 17, 2016 6:28 pm

Not sure what to make of it. I would say recheck soon. Yes, It can be other things raising it. I don't trust mine as its always been fairly low regardless of spread. Best wishes

kandj
Posts: 314
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:29 am

Re: CEA a factor after 16 years?

Postby kandj » Sat Jun 18, 2016 11:23 pm

DH's CEA is always 3-5 points higher at MSKCC than it is at his local oncologist. It is bizarre. Also, his was <.5 at diagnosis, even with a 6cm+ colon tumor and 11+ liver tumors. The highest it has been at MSKCC is 8.3, and this was right before his liver resection. Also happened to be when his tumors were at their smallest. So who knows for us CEA is a mystery.
wife to DH, dx 8/15 stage IV @36, 12+ liver Mets
HAI placed 12/15
Liver resect 5/19/2016 15-20 mets (surgeon lost count)
Liver Recurrence 7/2017-radiation
Lung met 10/18 VATS
lung/adrenal gland recurrence 11/19
Adrenal ablation 2/20 VATS 3/20
Radiation: 9/20 adrenal gland, 2/21 pancreatic node
9/2021 liver, 4/22 esophageal node
7/2023 proton therapy: liver
140+ rounds of chemo and counting
Chest nodes, lung nodules, and esophageal nodes currently.

rp1954
Posts: 1853
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:13 am

Re: CEA a factor after 16 years?

Postby rp1954 » Sun Jun 19, 2016 4:40 pm

Yes, one's low CEA expression levels can change, biologically there are several likely possibilties. While CEA lab methods can shift the reference range, <0.5 goes to 6.3, is not that kind of lab change.

Where there were no other questions, like virus exposure or inflammation, we waited 3 days to repeat the lab on an unusual drop, and it went lower.

Where other issues were at question, we've waited 10-21 days, to try to quantify increases or observe transience. Most of all, we observe additional markers.
watchful, active researcher and caregiver for stage IVb/c CC. surgeries 4/10 sigmoid etc & 5/11 para-aortic LN cluster; 8 yrs immuno-Chemo for mCRC; now no chemo
most of 2010 Life Extension recommendations and possibilities + more, some (much) higher, peaking ~2011-12, taper chemo to almost nothing mid 2018, IV C-->2021. Now supplements


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