CEA Question

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SCKC2020
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:31 pm

CEA Question

Postby SCKC2020 » Tue Nov 17, 2020 10:20 pm

My wife 45 yrs old just had her 5th round of chemo for recurrent cancer in her pelvic region after resection for colorectal cancer. No mets or spread. Tumor lies within surgical bed. Her CEA had dropped from 181 ng/ml to 167 ng/ml after the first 2 cycles

her last 3 cycles her CEA has been

151 ng/ml
150 ng/ml
152 ng/ml

She is scheduled to have one more round (6th) the CAT two weeks later.

Has anyone ever experienced this? CEA staying in the same range.

A side note is that she has been dealing with an internal infection (abscess and fistula) in the same area since the resection surgery 9 months ago on top of this. Incredibly uncomfortable as her original surgical wound still is not fully healed due to leaking of the abscess.

Thank you in advance.

She scheduled for one more cycle and then CAT.

User avatar
beach sunrise
Posts: 1034
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:14 pm

Re: CEA Question

Postby beach sunrise » Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:35 am

I'm sure she is feeling terrible with all that going on. What do the surgeon(s) say about surgical wound not healing, abscess and fistula? Could it be contributing to high CEA and did they offer anything to combat wound, abscess and fistula?
8/19 RC CEA 82.6 T3N0M0
5FU/rad 6 wk
IVC 75g 1 1/2 wks before surgery. Continue 2x a week
Surg 1/20 -margins T4bN1a IIIC G2 MSI- 1/20 LN+ LVI+ PNI-
pre cea 24 post 5.9
FOLFOX
7 rds 6-10 CEA 11.4 No more
CEA
7/20 11.1 8.8
8/20 7.8
9/20 8.8, 9, 8.6
10/20 8.1
11/20 8s
12/20 8s-9s
ADAPT++++ chrono
CEA
10/23/22 26.x
12/23/22 22.x
2023
1/5 17.1
1/20 15.9
3/30 14.9
6/12 13.3
8/1 2.1
Nodule RML SUV 1.3 5mm
Rolles 3 of 4 lung nodules cancer
KRAS
Chem-sens test failed Not enough ca cells to test

Koreysue
Posts: 258
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2018 2:36 pm

Re: CEA Question

Postby Koreysue » Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:53 am

Hello,
My oncologist never tested cea during chemo. I have heard others on here mention the same. It seems to me that CEA can be wonky during chemo, so not a reliable test at that time.
ksue
Dx: 6/2017 stage 3 CC
Sigmoid, 2 nodes
CEA at dx: 6.1
Sigmoid Colectomy/folfox (last chemo (1/31/18)
CEA 4/2018: 2.4
CEA 7/2018: 3.7
Colonoscopy 8/18 clean
PET scan 8/20/18 NED
CEA 11/2018: 3.8
CEA 2/2019: 3.2
CT NED 6/18/19 / CEA : 3.4
CEA 10/21/19: 3.2
CEA 3/9/20: 3.8
CT NED /CEA 6/17/20: 3.8
CEA 11/4/20 4.6 <——— whyyyy? (will retest in a few weeks)
CT NED 12/1/20 CEA: 3.5
CEA 5/21 4.2
CEA 10/21 3.4
colonoscopy 10/21 10mm polyp
CEA 4/22 3.7
CEA 7/22 3.8
CEA 12/22 4
CEA 1/22 3.2 and NED 5yr scan


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