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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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)

Thank you for your advise I greatly appreciate it.

mary4elpo | @mary4elpo | May 10, 2023

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

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.

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)

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

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 ?

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)

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.

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, 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?