I'm a mystery ... CEA rising, good scans

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DebZ
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:01 pm
Facebook Username: Bulc

I'm a mystery ... CEA rising, good scans

Postby DebZ » Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:13 pm

Due to continuous low platelets (hanging on at 60), I've been off oxalyplatin and have only had 5FU and avastin for last few infusions. My CEA has been creeping upward for last few months, from 18 to now 26, but both a CT and a PET showed nothing new and lung mets stable. So, anyone want to guess what is going on? I feel fine, no new aches or pains.
48 @ diagnosis Sept 2014
MSS; Kras mutant G12D
Oct 2014: right hemicolectomy
Dec 2014-May 2015: Folfox
June 2015: clean scans
Sept 2015: scans reveal ovarian mass and liver met; Folfiri
Jan 2016: liver wedge resection and hysterectomy
April 2016: multiple lung mets; Folfiri+Avastin
June 2017: lung mets growing; switch to Folfox+Avastin
Jan-April 2018: dropped oxali; CEA rising
May 2018: back on Folfox+Avastin, add pulse steroid treatment to get platelet count up (continuously in 50s)

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

Re: I'm a mystery ... CEA rising, good scans

Postby rp1954 » Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:06 pm

I might work to have (new, outside) consultants find, define or exclude potential noncancer causes of the CEA rise. Also a skillful doctor could use multiple markers and panels to better define cancer correlated measurements. We have shadow boxed less visibly defined mets for some years. In several situations, multiple blood tests can be more sensitive, predictive or reassuring than scans; obviously best used together.

In our blood data set, advances in different markers correlate with adjuvant ingredients too low or missing, sometimes it's very pronounced. If a cancer marker advances, we make extra effort to stop it with off label adjuvants, like celebrex and high potency supplements added to daily oral chemo, like an extended immunochemo version of ADAPT. Some materials are targetable. By some indices, the cumulative effect of these off label adjuvants is more than is achievable with regular chemo.

We bolstered platelets and WBC with PSK. Improved immune function with WGP type beta glucans also improved immunochemo performance.
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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dianetavegia
Posts: 2731
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 8:47 pm
Facebook Username: Diane Weldy Tavegia
Location: Villa Rica, Georgia

Re: I'm a mystery ... CEA rising, good scans

Postby dianetavegia » Sun Mar 04, 2018 11:11 am

Have you had your thyroid checked? There are many medical articles online about hypothroid and elevated CEA.
Stage III cc surgery 1/7/09. 12 tx FOLFOX
Stage IV PET = 1.5cm liver met. HR 4/11/12

14 years since dx and 11 years post liver resection.
Pronounced CURED and discharged by onc

“O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.” Psalms 30:2

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chrissyrice
Posts: 1171
Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:44 am
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Re: I'm a mystery ... CEA rising, good scans

Postby chrissyrice » Sun Mar 04, 2018 1:28 pm

I have heard of this before from other survivors. Usually they know that CEA is a great marker for them so the blood work is picking up the circulating cancer cells.

Same as you the scans are clean... but later down the road, the rise in CEA appears in a new tumor site. Usually their oncologist will not start chemo until they see an actual tumor on a scan.
DX 10-31-09 Surgery 12-1-09 Sigmoid Colon
Stage IIIb T3,N2,MX; Chemo Feb 2010-Aug 2010; 4 rounds Folfox; 8 rounds 5FU +LV
12/2010 PET/CT Scan, Cancer Free
7/2012 CT Scan NED 2 years
10/2013 NED 3 years
8/2014 NED 4 years
Recurrence 6/2015: iliac lymph node(s)
8/2015 Surgery: 3 cm tumor removed+iliac artery graft
3/2016 CT Scan Stable
6/2016 Stable
9/2016 Stable
12/2016 Stable
3/2017 Stable
Recurrence 6/2017
12/2017 Surgery removed all cancer w/ clean margins
07-27-2018 Cancer-free for 7 months


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