Is it possible to have very high CEA and CA19-9 without cancer?

I hope all is well with your husband. Waiting to get testing and results is so frustrating and nerve-wracking! I am definitely no expert; all I can share is what I read when I was dealing with elevated test results a couple of months ago. These blood tests can be unreliable in making a new diagnosis and are usually coupled with other procedures such as endoscopy and biopsies, but they're often used to track treatment progress. I've read that other situations can elevate the test results even if cancer isn't present, although I don't know what those situations would be. In my case, my CEA was 13.X and my CA19-9 was 1736. I was positive for pan can stage 4 based on endoscopy and then a biopsy and visual check performed during a laparoscopy the following week. Here's hoping that you all can get the testing done quickly and, ideally, get the non-cancer diagnosis you hope for.

My CA 19 9 numbers started to rise after I had Covid in Dec. As of last bloodwork, they were 432. I had a PET scan that showed nothing.
Since Covid, I have been struggling with IBS and Crohns. I have read that CA 19 9 can be elevated with these, as well as some lung disorders.
My best wishes to you both for cancer to be gone and a return to a healthy and wonderful life!

Thank you for your response and positive thoughts. I hope you're doing well!

Thank you for your response, and I'm sorry that you've had to deal with Covid and all the resulting uncertainty. My husband never got the virus, although he's had lots of other complications since the Whipple, some of which may have resulted in raising his CA19-9 as high as 700 a couple of years ago. He also had it checked with scanning, and it was clear at the time. His test results have fluctuated enough in the past (mostly below 100) for the oncologist to stop testing him. It was more anxiety producing than beneficial. The drawback is that we really don't know how long his CA has been high, if it was a gradual increase or a big jump. As it is, we can't really correlate it with his health changes. The high numbers possibly relating to IBS or lung problem are certainly possibilities. We're seeing a lung specialist in a couple of days, so maybe he'll have some answers for us sooner than 2 weeks? Fingers crossed!

@marianna13, I'm wondering if you have an update. How is your husband doing? How are you doing?

Thanks for checking in Colleen. I've been staying away, trying to keep from counting the days until the PET. Waiting drives me crazy, but it's almost here: day after tomorrow. Hopefully it won't take long to get the result. Since getting out of physical rehab (kicked him out after 3 days on account of recovering from the stroke at breakneck speed), my husband has developed edema along with a bloody looking rash on both legs. Just something else to worry about. We met with a lung specialist last week, but he had nothing new to tell us, only that if the PET comes back positive, biopsy will be the next step. I'm doing fine (aside from picking up some bug over the weekend, which is making me just miserable enough to help to get things off my mind.

No news yet on the PET result, but as it turns out, the bug I contracted over the weekend was Covid. The doctor was treating me allergies, and by the time I became positive my husband was also showing symptoms. This morning he tested positive as well. So, yet another wrinkle: Since he has compromised kidneys and liver (due to portal vein blockage post Whipple that couldn't be fixed) he can't get Paxlovid or other meds to lessen the effects of the virus. He's a very positive person, who never doubted that he would beat PC, but after 6 years full of hurdles and complications (the last 5 of them NED) the recent gut punches are starting to make him feel beaten down. As if all the cards are getting stacked against him. I hope there's good news on the way!!!

Thanks for the update. Sending virtual hugs to get you both through the next couple of days.

We finally got word about the PET result. Unfortunately, it's not very informative. What PET shows is consistent with cancer, but not definitive, so my husband needs a biopsy, but first need to check his chronically low platelets, to make sure he won't bleed out. Another possible option is radiation without knowing if it's cancer or not. So, more "wait and see".

All the best in getting the diagnosis. I could not start chemo without a biopsy result. The initial reading was indeterminate and the biopsy sent for a second opinion confirming what was already almost certain. I had blockage of a bile duct and had to wait for the bilirubin level to come down before chemo so it all happened about the same time and I proceeded with chemo.