CEA Level Increase - Previous cancer diagnosis

Posted by robj67 @robj67, Dec 29, 2024

My background: I had Prostate cancer in 2016 and went directly for a Radical Prostatectomy. Recently been diagnosed with a biochemical recurrence and just had a PMSA/PET scan and MRI in just over a week. No results yet on the PMSA scan. Will be doing hormone therapy and radiation.

So, I had a recent blood panel that included testing for CEA. This was unrelated to my cancer treatment and in all my tests, never had this one. Alarmingly it is registering at 5.6. I haven't talked with my Oncologist directly yet, but one of the nurses messaged that CEA is not related to Prostate cancer. So why would I have such a high reading?

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gently | @gently | Dec 30, 2024

robj67, CEA can be elevated in some types of prostate cancer. It could indicate the presence of the cancer in soft tissue. The PSMA/PET will yield the location of recurrence. There are many non-malignant causes for elevated CEA including smoking, hemorrhoids, gastritis, even taking aspirin. The raised CEA may be related to the recurrence but is not prognostic.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | 6 days ago

@robj67, CEA is a tumor marker monitor most commonly for colorectal cancer colorectal cancer, but may also be used along with other tests for bladder, breast, lung, ovarian and thyroid cancer.

Like @gently said, higher than normal CEA levels can be caused by other conditions. Rob, have you been able to ask your doctor about your blood test results, including CEA?

robj67 | @robj67 | 6 days ago

@colleenyoung thanks for checking in! I finally spoke with my RO tonight. He was out for the Holidays and we had a lot of shutdowns due to snow. He remarked that while elevated or high, he wasn't too concerned with the CEA results. I had an Endoscopy/Colonoscopy in March, and aside from one small sessile serrated polyp, there was nothing remarkable so he is quite assured it wouldn't be Colorectal cancer, since it takes much longer for that to develop. It was noted that I have reactive gastropathy, so that could even be influencing the CEA number too.