CEA false positives?

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MartinSmith
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Facebook Username: Paul Martin Smith

CEA false positives?

Postby MartinSmith » Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:02 pm

had colon surgery march 2017... STAGE 2A T3... 32 lymph nodes removed no sign spread...no chemo.. since have had CEA in the range from 5.6 to 7.9... understand false positives CEA test common??

peanut_8
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Joined: Sun May 25, 2014 1:31 pm

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby peanut_8 » Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:47 pm

Hi MartinSmith, Welcome to Colon Talk.

I'm not familiar with false positive CEA tests, don't really recall it being discussed here. Can you post your last couple of tests with dates? Any recent CT scans, or other abnormal tests?

Thanks and Best Wishes,
peanut
female, diagnosed Jan 14, RC stage 2a, age 56
MSS
April 14, 28 chemo/rad with Xeloda
June 14 adjuvant Xeloda 6 rounds
currently NED

Beckster
Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 3:01 pm
Location: New Jersey

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby Beckster » Mon Jul 09, 2018 9:39 pm

MartinSmith wrote:had colon surgery march 2017... STAGE 2A T3... 32 lymph nodes removed no sign spread...no chemo.. since have had CEA in the range from 5.6 to 7.9... understand false positives CEA test common??



Fellow 2A....what was your preoperative CEA? Also, in addition to the elevated CEA, did you have any scans? Another person on this forum had an elevated CEA and her onc ordered a scan...it was clear. Hopefully she will chime in.
57/F
DX:(CC) 10/19/16
11/4/16- Lap right hemi(cecum)
CEA- Pre Op (1.9), Pre Chemo (2.5)
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size:3.5 cm x 2.5 x 0.7 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N0M0/IIA
LN: 0/24
LVI present
Surgical margins: clear
MSS
12/27/2016 - Capeox, anaphylactic
1/2/17 to 6/9/17- Xeloda
6/17,12/17,6/18,12/18,6/19,12/19,12/20,12/21 CT Scan NED :D
CEA- 6/17- 3.6, 9/17- 2.8 12/17-2.8, 3/18-3.1, 6/18-3.0, 9/18 2.8, 12/18 2.5 3/19 3.1 6/19 3.1 9/19 2.6 12/19 2.8 6/20 3.0 12/20 2.7 6/21 2.9,[color=#000000]12/21 2.7[/color]
Clear Colonoscopy 10/17, 11/19,11/21 :D

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O Stoma Mia
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Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby O Stoma Mia » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:26 pm


Deb m
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Re: CEA false positives?

Postby Deb m » Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:23 am

My husband was also a stage 22, but he did the chemo. He had a baseline CEA that was many time above the normal range. Over five years of checking it every 3 to 6 months, he ranges from 2.8 to 5.7. It's nerve racking to say the least! Our oncologist told us, that at least for him, the important thing was the trend. Up's and downs's didn't concern him, even when it spiked to 5.7 once. It's the constant increase in value that's a concern.

Do you know what you cea was before surgery. Perhaps you have a elevated baseline as well?

Teddybear
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2018 3:23 pm

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby Teddybear » Tue Jul 10, 2018 11:54 am

Sorry for the CEA stress. I think looking at the list of other causes for cea may help you find the cause. Listing your pre op cea and any scans could help others respond. Let’s us know :)
DX CC Feb 2018
Feb 2018 Lap sigmoind resection
2A
T3N0M0/G2
0/14 nodes
Oncogene 14
Margins clear
MSS
April-June 2018 Xeloda

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby NHMike » Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:13 pm

I'm kind of in this space right now. CEA went from 3.2 to 4.5 in a month (3.8 and lower is normal). Oncologist ordered a CT scan which came back clean. The increase coincided with much more exercise but I looked around and found a study indicating that 12 weeks of exercise should lower CEA. I'm going to try to get another test in several weeks hoping that it stabilizes or drops. I'm technically NED but this number does get to you.
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
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

zx10guy
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Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:54 pm

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby zx10guy » Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:46 pm

So far haven't found anyone on the forums remotely close to what I'm going through.

Last year went in for my 3 month routine checkup. Had one in December with a clear scan and CEA at around 5.4 if I recall correctly. I've always been on the high side so that number hasn't been alarming. March things took a different turn. CEA comes in at 15.6. Oncologist thinks this has to be some lab mistake. So we re-ran another test. 16.7. I've already chronicled my testing marathon here before. So just search for my post. To say I've done pretty much all tests under the sun isn't an understatement. Since March of 2017, my CEA has stayed in the teens with the highest number at 20.2 and the lowest was either 11 or 14. Can't remember right now. I had another checkup in May which was my 6 month checkup as my oncologist felt comfortable to push out the frequency of visits. CT scan again was clear except catching a cardiac issue which I'm now being checked for. But my CEA has bounced up again to 17.7. Asked my oncologist if this is going to change anything with my monitoring. He said no and see you in November.

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby NHMike » Tue Jul 10, 2018 7:53 pm

zx10guy wrote:So far haven't found anyone on the forums remotely close to what I'm going through.

Last year went in for my 3 month routine checkup. Had one in December with a clear scan and CEA at around 5.4 if I recall correctly. I've always been on the high side so that number hasn't been alarming. March things took a different turn. CEA comes in at 15.6. Oncologist thinks this has to be some lab mistake. So we re-ran another test. 16.7. I've already chronicled my testing marathon here before. So just search for my post. To say I've done pretty much all tests under the sun isn't an understatement. Since March of 2017, my CEA has stayed in the teens with the highest number at 20.2 and the lowest was either 11 or 14. Can't remember right now. I had another checkup in May which was my 6 month checkup as my oncologist felt comfortable to push out the frequency of visits. CT scan again was clear except catching a cardiac issue which I'm now being checked for. But my CEA has bounced up again to 17.7. Asked my oncologist if this is going to change anything with my monitoring. He said no and see you in November.


Those numbers would drive me up a wall as well.
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
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT

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wwroam
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Location: Brisbane, Australia
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Re: CEA false positives?

Postby wwroam » Tue Jul 10, 2018 11:16 pm

I don't know about false positives but CEA is a very useful alarm for a range of cancers.
Last year over an 8 month period my CEA went from 4 to 6.2.
My onc at the time sent me off for a PET scan. Result after an EBUS biopsy was Stage 3A NSCLung Cancer.
I am now in remission from this but reflect that without CRC and 10 years of testing I could now be dead.
I would encourage anyone to get a PET scan if there are changes to long stable CEA

Regards
Wayne.
Stage 3a DX 25/06/07
Folfox complete 30/01/08
7 years NED
Port scheduled for removal 8/02/10 Gone.
PSA .54 No prostate problems
Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic
SO diagnosed CC Stage IV Liver Mets 23/03/15

zx10guy
Posts: 233
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:54 pm

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby zx10guy » Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:08 am

NHMike wrote:
zx10guy wrote:So far haven't found anyone on the forums remotely close to what I'm going through.

Last year went in for my 3 month routine checkup. Had one in December with a clear scan and CEA at around 5.4 if I recall correctly. I've always been on the high side so that number hasn't been alarming. March things took a different turn. CEA comes in at 15.6. Oncologist thinks this has to be some lab mistake. So we re-ran another test. 16.7. I've already chronicled my testing marathon here before. So just search for my post. To say I've done pretty much all tests under the sun isn't an understatement. Since March of 2017, my CEA has stayed in the teens with the highest number at 20.2 and the lowest was either 11 or 14. Can't remember right now. I had another checkup in May which was my 6 month checkup as my oncologist felt comfortable to push out the frequency of visits. CT scan again was clear except catching a cardiac issue which I'm now being checked for. But my CEA has bounced up again to 17.7. Asked my oncologist if this is going to change anything with my monitoring. He said no and see you in November.


Those numbers would drive me up a wall as well.


I'm more or less numb to the numbers after dealing with this situation for over a year.

zx10guy
Posts: 233
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:54 pm

Re: CEA false positives?

Postby zx10guy » Wed Jul 11, 2018 12:10 am

wwroam wrote:I don't know about false positives but CEA is a very useful alarm for a range of cancers.
Last year over an 8 month period my CEA went from 4 to 6.2.
My onc at the time sent me off for a PET scan. Result after an EBUS biopsy was Stage 3A NSCLung Cancer.
I am now in remission from this but reflect that without CRC and 10 years of testing I could now be dead.
I would encourage anyone to get a PET scan if there are changes to long stable CEA

Regards
Wayne.


I had a PET as well as an MRI. Still found zero. Not discounting how CEA is real useful for many people, but there needs to be a better test.

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dianetavegia
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Re: CEA false positives?

Postby dianetavegia » Tue Jul 17, 2018 8:58 am

CEA false positives under 10 can be caused by many things. I had a reading of 5.8 about 16 months ago and asked for my thyroid to be checked. My TSH was really off and after 6 months on levothyroxine, my CEA had dropped more than 50%, well into the normal range. My CEA has always been between 2.9 and 3.4.

Do a web search and you'll find people who had CEA's of over 100 when they had thyroid problems or thyroid cancer.
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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