Does CEA fluctuate in healthy individuals

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Jacques
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Re: Does CEA fluctuate in healthy individuals

Postby Jacques » Sun Dec 22, 2019 12:55 am

zx10guy wrote:...
What Is the Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) Blood Test?
What to expect when undergoing this test

https://www.verywellhealth.com/carcinoembryonic-antigen-cea-797561

The article immediately above gives a list of some benign conditions which can raise CEA levels along with inflammation....

zx10guy -

Thank you for posting the link above and also for summarizing the CEA situation in your previous posts.

I wish that that these types of summaries had been available 5 or 10 years ago. It would have helped clarify a few very important points and would have saved a lot of people a number of months of unnecessary anxiety.

The verywellhealth November 2019 article that you cited above contains a current and comprensive, readable overview of the subject and, in my opinion, should be required reading for all newly diagnosed CRC patients.

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dianetavegia
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Re: Does CEA fluctuate in healthy individuals

Postby dianetavegia » Sat Dec 28, 2019 2:40 pm

Even vitamins can elevate a CEA. Biotin, found in vitamins and pills sold for hair and nails can cause false positives.

Hypothyroidism causes elevated CEA's. Mine has never been the same 2 readings in a row.
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

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ranger
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Re: Does CEA fluctuate in healthy individuals

Postby ranger » Wed Jan 01, 2020 9:34 pm

I was told that my CEA isn't a reliable indicator, so I don't rely on it.
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NHMike
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Re: Does CEA fluctuate in healthy individuals

Postby NHMike » Sun Jan 05, 2020 10:24 pm

My CEA rose quite a bit to above normal levels during adjuvant chemo. I determined that the rise was correlated with increasing exercise. My oncologist was worried enough to order a CT when it went above normal levels.

Levels were really low after the tumor was removed but there could have been something in the surgery, drugs, etc. that lowered it so much too.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
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hwr
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Re: Does CEA fluctuate in healthy individuals

Postby hwr » Thu Jan 09, 2020 7:14 am

I visited my oncologist on January 6 for my first follow up since appendix cancer found in July followed by scans and R Hemicolectomy. I'm NED and stage 2A. My CEA was 0.9 after the appendix was removed. I thought the CEA was pretty good until I read several articles that basically said a healthy individual should have nearly zero or very low levels of CEA. The respondents here were generally in disagreement with those assertions. My test result on January 6 was 1.0. I asked my oncologist about the articles and he said nonsense. "I've been in practice 30 years and dont recall ever seeing anyone at zero. Your CEA is excellent." Then he told me several accounts of patients who reported with rising CEA and further scans and tests showed NED. Subsequently the CEA came back down. One lady had dramatic increase because of bronchitis.

Thanks again for all who responded and sharing your knowledge.
07/2019 Appendix cancer; Goblet Cell Adenocarcinoma; T3 high grade; CEA 0.9
07/2019 CT chest, abdomen, pelvis all clear
08/2019 R hemicolectomy; negative pathology; IIA, NED
01/2020 CEA 1.0
02/2020 CT clear
09/2020 CT clear


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