1. < Colorectal Cancer

Had colon cancer and now CEA is rising: Scared

Posted by segerfan @segerfan, Apr 26, 2022

Colon cancer 10 year and now raised CEA
Just had a colonoscopy and it was fine. Went for my yearly check up and CEA is evaluated to 7. no weight loss, no loss of appetite. I am under a great deal of stress, family, marriage lose of a grandchild. Went back to vaping. Doctor is going to do a ct scan. I am scared to death.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Nov 4, 2023
In reply to @tirse "Had sigmoid colon cancer in 2013. CEA was 15.7 pre-op. Stage 2, no lymph node involvement...." + (show)
@tirse

Had sigmoid colon cancer in 2013. CEA was 15.7 pre-op. Stage 2, no lymph node involvement. One lymph node was in question for 2 weeks, after which they determined that it was negative, (see pic). Oral Xeloda for 9 months. CT's clear. CEA dropped to 0.4. Fast forward to 2023, have some weight loss, around 10 lbs due to eating less. CEA has very slowly crept up to 2.0. Have had 4 consecutive rises in the past 2 years. Still within normal parameters, should I be concerned ?

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@tirse, I think you will appreciate the responses from fellow members in these related discussions:
- Had colon cancer and now CEA is rising: Scared
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/colon-cancer-10-year-and-now-raised-cea/
- Worried about rising CEA levels
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cea-levels/

I completely agree with @rjjacobsen, that your rise in CEA shouldn't be cause for alarm, but definitely something to monitor and to discuss a plan with your oncologist. When is your next follow up appointment?

REPLY
rjjacobsen | @rjjacobsen | Oct 31, 2023
In reply to @tirse "Had sigmoid colon cancer in 2013. CEA was 15.7 pre-op. Stage 2, no lymph node involvement...." + (show)
@tirse

Had sigmoid colon cancer in 2013. CEA was 15.7 pre-op. Stage 2, no lymph node involvement. One lymph node was in question for 2 weeks, after which they determined that it was negative, (see pic). Oral Xeloda for 9 months. CT's clear. CEA dropped to 0.4. Fast forward to 2023, have some weight loss, around 10 lbs due to eating less. CEA has very slowly crept up to 2.0. Have had 4 consecutive rises in the past 2 years. Still within normal parameters, should I be concerned ?

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Just a former cancer patient, not a expert.

Technically, 0-2.9 is normal per the Cleveland Clinic. From their web page:

What levels of CEA indicate cancer?
There’s no magic number or threshold for a CEA test that points to cancer. Healthcare providers don’t use the CEA test to screen for or diagnose cancer. In general, a CEA level of more than 2.9 ng/mL is considered abnormal but doesn’t necessarily mean that cancer is present.

I had a bump in my CEA levels and my oncologist reduced the surveillance scan and blood work interval from 6 to 4 months.

I think it merits continued surveillance, but not panic or worry,

Recommend discussion your oncologist - they're the expert.

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tirse | @tirse | Oct 30, 2023

Had sigmoid colon cancer in 2013. CEA was 15.7 pre-op. Stage 2, no lymph node involvement. One lymph node was in question for 2 weeks, after which they determined that it was negative, (see pic). Oral Xeloda for 9 months. CT's clear. CEA dropped to 0.4. Fast forward to 2023, have some weight loss, around 10 lbs due to eating less. CEA has very slowly crept up to 2.0. Have had 4 consecutive rises in the past 2 years. Still within normal parameters, should I be concerned ?
REPLY
2 replies
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | May 24, 2023
In reply to @mary4elpo "MRI showed no signs of cancer, so just had a pet scan done, 3 areas lit..." + (show)
@mary4elpo

MRI showed no signs of cancer, so just had a pet scan done, 3 areas lit up , a lymph node in the neck , a couple of lymph nodes in stomach area and a small lesion on liver. Next step is going for biopsy.

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Hi @mary4elpo, did you have the biopsy done? How are you doing?

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mary4elpo | @mary4elpo | May 10, 2023
In reply to @mary4elpo "Yes having scans done again next week, thank you for the advice." + (show)
@mary4elpo

Yes having scans done again next week, thank you for the advice.

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MRI showed no signs of cancer, so just had a pet scan done, 3 areas lit up , a lymph node in the neck , a couple of lymph nodes in stomach area and a small lesion on liver. Next step is going for biopsy.

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1 reply
mary4elpo | @mary4elpo | Apr 19, 2023
In reply to @amariewilkinson "Stress alone can make things be off. Try to meditate and breathe even just 5-20min a..." + (show)
@amariewilkinson

Stress alone can make things be off. Try to meditate and breathe even just 5-20min a day. It’s hard. I’m learning but so worth it. Stand barefoot in the grass/dirt. Juice lots of carrots and celery and garlic. Learn about all the anticancer foods that also help with energy, stress and so many other things. You’ve got this! Fear is a liar. God bless!

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Thank you for your advise I greatly appreciate it.

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mary4elpo | @mary4elpo | Apr 12, 2023
In reply to @amariewilkinson "Stress alone can make things be off. Try to meditate and breathe even just 5-20min a..." + (show)
@amariewilkinson

Stress alone can make things be off. Try to meditate and breathe even just 5-20min a day. It’s hard. I’m learning but so worth it. Stand barefoot in the grass/dirt. Juice lots of carrots and celery and garlic. Learn about all the anticancer foods that also help with energy, stress and so many other things. You’ve got this! Fear is a liar. God bless!

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Thank you for your advice

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mary4elpo | @mary4elpo | Apr 12, 2023
In reply to @lisag03 "For me, CEA wasn’t a beneficial indicator. It was 1.8 when I had a malignant tumor..." + (show)
@lisag03

For me, CEA wasn’t a beneficial indicator. It was 1.8 when I had a malignant tumor and has remained in that range with the exception of one elevation to a 3. What is your doctor saying? What was your CEA at diagnosis? Did you do chemo?

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I had colon surgery and chemo after, body scans in Feb 2023 showed no signs of cancer but CEA levels were 10.6 and 12.6 in March

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lisag03 | @lisag03 | Apr 12, 2023
In reply to @mary4elpo "Had colon surgery a year ago, current body scans and colonoscopy showed no sign of cancer..." + (show)
@mary4elpo

Had colon surgery a year ago, current body scans and colonoscopy showed no sign of cancer but my CEA level is 12 .6 ,anyone ever experience this?

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For me, CEA wasn’t a beneficial indicator. It was 1.8 when I had a malignant tumor and has remained in that range with the exception of one elevation to a 3. What is your doctor saying? What was your CEA at diagnosis? Did you do chemo?

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1 reply
lisag03 | @lisag03 | Apr 12, 2023

You mentioned returning to vaping. Prior to the elevated CEA, were you vaping? I’m assuming it’s nicotine. Is your doctor aware? Nicotine and/or smoking can effect CEA, often leading to elevated levels. Have you considered stopping vaping for an extended time period and seeing if levels change?
Was CEA an accurate indicator prior to diagnosis? Mine was 1.8, but colonoscopy showed a suspected malignancy, and CT showed supported that finding. My CEA decreased after surgery (I think lowest was .57) but has since remained over 1.4 and even gotten up to 3. While I was worried about the 3, my oncologist wasn’t and said it could be effected by multiple factors. Next time we tested I was back down to 1.8

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