CEA Numbers creeping up

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A E Roebuck
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Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:13 am
Facebook Username: Dont do facebook

CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby A E Roebuck » Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:59 am

Good evening all. First a thank you for this being in existence. i have learned much from all the good info posted. I have stage IV colon cancer. Spread to liver, lungs and C7. Had no symptoms and was fine—just tired, but given my work and teaching schedule thought that was normal. Been quite a ride since April of 2016. Back on FOLFOX6 + Avastin and on round 8. Pretty tired but have managed to walk a few miles outside and will tomorrow. Bad new is that CEA crept up to 9. It was 7.5. I’ve passed on a full hit of chemo due to Holidays and just had Avastin. Treatment next week so will get another reading after last full treatment last time and can call to get the next CEA after next week’s round. It was down to 5.2 and trending down. Not it’s ticking up. I know its not a perfect test. Must be confirmed by PET, MRI, etc., have a PET coming Feb 12th. Long time to wait. Initially when this tsunami hit outta nowhere, my CEA was over 1,500. It dropped fast on FOLFOX to .6 and that was great. Chemo has chewed me up, but I recovered enough to have neck implode and had massive surgery to fuse all that. Gotta try to play golf again!! Any advice on see-saw CEA’s will help waiting go easier. Greateful for each of you, where ever you are in this world. My sincere hope for each is that if you are feeling awful, that it passes soon, and if you are feeling good, enjoy the day fully....first post. Will be far more succinct going forward!

Leeloo
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2014 5:02 pm
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Re: CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby Leeloo » Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:03 am

Hi AE
It’s a worry to have numbers creeping up, the good news is they are still under 10 and the rise was after missing a chemo, so here’s hoping it’s much the same or down again when you get it done next.

January is flying by, so it’s now less than a month to your PET scan. Are you planning a trip or an outing to fill the time before it?

Sending you hope, positive vibes and swinging chickens,
Leeloo
(R) hemicolectomy 13/08/13
Stage IIB T4N0(0/6)M0
Xelox x 4 (Scot trial)
NED

User avatar
Robino1
Posts: 463
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 12:09 pm
Facebook Username: Robin.lawthers
Location: Florida

Re: CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby Robino1 » Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:53 am

Mine was on a nice downward trend. Not near enough to make me totally celebrate but going down. If you look at my signature, it bumped up a bit but has gone down this last test. I don't know why mine went up but there are other reasons for CEA numbers to go up.

I have heard that cancer cells dying can cause numbers to go up.

I panicked a moment when I saw the increase but settled down and started searching for other reasons for a rise in CEA. Biotin can create messed up numbers in blood tests. Sure enough, there was biotin in one of the supplements I was taking. I dropped that one.

I decided not to panic and to enjoy my Christmas vacation and to wait until after my next CEA to see if the rise was a trend or just a one off thing. I did have the benefit of just having a CT scan which showed 'marked response' since last scan.

I hope your next test shows it going back down!
At 54 2014 1st colonoscopy colon cancer detect
Colon resect margins clear. No chemo Stage II
2017
Distend abd, pain in intestines.
CT scan seeding & Ascites
Lap diag - cancer on the omentum
CEA 217; 219
FOLFOX started 6/17
CEA 202
8/29/17 CT melting of tumor.
Latest CT scan shows 2 new tumors and return of ascites.
CEA: (2017)9/30 -109; 10/12 -99.1; 11/4 -90.7; 11/30 -70.7; 12/14 -83.4; (2018)1/4 -73.3; 2/1-84.2; 89.2; 89.8; 88.5; 81.8: 93.5; 107; 119
BRAF V600e

SweetC80
Posts: 103
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:28 pm

Re: CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby SweetC80 » Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:33 am

My mom's oncologist always reminds us that he only uses the CEA as a guide not as a diagnostic tool. Only imaging can give the whole picture. CEA is a better marker for some than others.
My Mom
12/16 Stage IIIb Rectal Ca CEA 1.2
1/17-2/17 Chemoradiation CEA 4.4
5/17 Entire Colon, Rectum & Anus removed Perm Ileostomy Bag
7/17 FOLFOX
9/17 Stage IVb 9cm Liver Met & 7mm Lung Nodule CEA 197
9/17 FOLFIRI CEA 160
10/17 Confirmed KRAS Pos CEA 210
11/17 Met growths Liver 10cm & Lung 8mm CEA 425
12/17 FOLFOX again Met growths Liver 13cm & Lung 1cm CEA 405
12/17 Xifaxan due to Hepatic Encephalopathy
12/17 New 2cm liver Met
1/18 CEA 992
2/8/18 Passed Peacefully

jep
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:45 pm
Location: New England, USA

Re: CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby jep » Thu Jan 18, 2018 3:48 pm

SweetC80 wrote:My mom's oncologist always reminds us that he only uses the CEA as a guide not as a diagnostic tool. Only imaging can give the whole picture. CEA is a better marker for some than others.


Yes, my husband's CEA was .9 before surgery and he had a large tumor and spread to 8 nodes (1 distant). We sometimes discuss his CEA, but I'm thinking it's not a good indicator for him. Am I right to think this?
Thanks!
Jill
Stage IV CC 5/16/17
Loc: recto-sig
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Size: 7.4 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N2M1
LNs: 8/20
BL CEA: .9
LVI: present
Perineural invasion: present
LAR margins: clear (w/in microns)
Folfox (8/17-1/18)
Scope 6/18 - CLEAR! - 2 polyps
PET 10/17/18: 3 pos LNs
Irino + Vecti (11/18)
CEA: 1.7 (2/19)
Xel + rad (5/19)
Surgery: 8/21/19 (aborted)
P1 Trial 10/19 - 12/19
Bypass 12/6/19
Folfox + vecti 1/2/19 - 4/3/20
Kid Fail 5/1/20
Folfiri + Avastin 5/20 - 6/20
bypass 6/29/20
Stivarga 7/18/20 -
Home 9/10/20

SweetC80
Posts: 103
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:28 pm

Re: CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby SweetC80 » Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:39 pm

jep wrote:
SweetC80 wrote:My mom's oncologist always reminds us that he only uses the CEA as a guide not as a diagnostic tool. Only imaging can give the whole picture. CEA is a better marker for some than others.


Yes, my husband's CEA was .9 before surgery and he had a large tumor and spread to 8 nodes (1 distant). We sometimes discuss his CEA, but I'm thinking it's not a good indicator for him. Am I right to think this?
Thanks!
Jill

That is something to keep an eye one and discuss with his Onco. My mom's CEA was 1.2 when she was diagnosed at Stage III. As soon as it spread to her liver and lungs her CEA jumped. Since then it has gone up and down a bit but with every large jump there seems to be coordinating growth of mets, so it seems to be a better indicator now than when first diagnosed. It seems, for her, that the overall picture looking at her CEA graphed over the last year it is a fairly decent indicator but not just from one to the next month, if that makes sense. I'm sure everybody is different.
My Mom
12/16 Stage IIIb Rectal Ca CEA 1.2
1/17-2/17 Chemoradiation CEA 4.4
5/17 Entire Colon, Rectum & Anus removed Perm Ileostomy Bag
7/17 FOLFOX
9/17 Stage IVb 9cm Liver Met & 7mm Lung Nodule CEA 197
9/17 FOLFIRI CEA 160
10/17 Confirmed KRAS Pos CEA 210
11/17 Met growths Liver 10cm & Lung 8mm CEA 425
12/17 FOLFOX again Met growths Liver 13cm & Lung 1cm CEA 405
12/17 Xifaxan due to Hepatic Encephalopathy
12/17 New 2cm liver Met
1/18 CEA 992
2/8/18 Passed Peacefully

stu
Posts: 1613
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 5:46 pm

Re: CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby stu » Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:06 pm

Hi ,
I think one reading could honestly be a one off given the change in your chemo . I have been watching my mum’s CEA for eight years and it can pop up a bit then go back down . Her highest is always on chemo . Cell death or chemo itself but she always had a great response so we learnt not to let our anxiety rise with the CEA but it took time to learn her patterns. Once it pops back down you know what to expect in the future .
Take care,
Stu
supporter to my mum who lives a great life despite a difficult diagnosis
stage4 2009 significant spread to liver
2010 colon /liver resection
chemo following recurrence
73% of liver removed
enjoying life treatment free
2016 lung resection
Oct 2017 nice clear scan . Two lung nodules disappeared
Oct 2018. Another clear scan .

jep
Posts: 260
Joined: Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:45 pm
Location: New England, USA

Re: CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby jep » Thu Jan 18, 2018 8:54 pm

SweetC80 wrote:
jep wrote:
SweetC80 wrote:My mom's oncologist always reminds us that he only uses the CEA as a guide not as a diagnostic tool. Only imaging can give the whole picture. CEA is a better marker for some than others.


Yes, my husband's CEA was .9 before surgery and he had a large tumor and spread to 8 nodes (1 distant). We sometimes discuss his CEA, but I'm thinking it's not a good indicator for him. Am I right to think this?
Thanks!
Jill

That is something to keep an eye one and discuss with his Onco. My mom's CEA was 1.2 when she was diagnosed at Stage III. As soon as it spread to her liver and lungs her CEA jumped. Since then it has gone up and down a bit but with every large jump there seems to be coordinating growth of mets, so it seems to be a better indicator now than when first diagnosed. It seems, for her, that the overall picture looking at her CEA graphed over the last year it is a fairly decent indicator but not just from one to the next month, if that makes sense. I'm sure everybody is different.


Good to know....thank you
Stage IV CC 5/16/17
Loc: recto-sig
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Size: 7.4 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N2M1
LNs: 8/20
BL CEA: .9
LVI: present
Perineural invasion: present
LAR margins: clear (w/in microns)
Folfox (8/17-1/18)
Scope 6/18 - CLEAR! - 2 polyps
PET 10/17/18: 3 pos LNs
Irino + Vecti (11/18)
CEA: 1.7 (2/19)
Xel + rad (5/19)
Surgery: 8/21/19 (aborted)
P1 Trial 10/19 - 12/19
Bypass 12/6/19
Folfox + vecti 1/2/19 - 4/3/20
Kid Fail 5/1/20
Folfiri + Avastin 5/20 - 6/20
bypass 6/29/20
Stivarga 7/18/20 -
Home 9/10/20

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

Re: CEA Numbers creeping up

Postby rp1954 » Fri Jan 19, 2018 10:48 am

For a lot of people on heavy chemo and changes of chemo, they experience some distortion and variance with their blood markers, sometimes substantially.

I've commented on using more markers and nonstandard adjuncts, as we do. My usual initial suggestions are for newly dx'd patients with colon cancer, facing surgery before chemo.

Some of us, have seen less distortion with milder, continuous chemo formulas and selected supplement routines. My wife seems well guided with extra blood markers, smoother data, and fewer scans. Our experience with resected metastatic cancer has been that you have to keep enough chemo and immune intensity on the residual cancers to keep the markers down. Below some threshold, the markers start to sprout and we have to re-up the nonstandard (but mild) stuff (e.g. celecoxib, PSK, IV vitamin C etc). Mild, continuous oral chemo is a given, or the markers start to sprout... and they are a little harder to beat down. Also, when they sprout, the markers may shift, e.g. CEA and AFP are fine right now, but CA199 is elevated; six years ago, CA199 was the first to retreat to baseline on improved chemo where CEA was still elevated, until we got the mets cut out.
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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