CEA tumor markers

HI,

I am not sure about the CEA test.  I show 0.9 for my CEA.  This hasn't changed since I had first been diagnosed with rectal cancer in August.  I went through 6 weeks of chemo/radiation and the CEA was the same after.  I did have surgery and am now on Folfox6 for 4-6 months.  Is 0.9 high or low.  It seems to be low but I'm confused.  Does anyone understand the markers???  Thank you  

Your CEA is good.  Anything below 3 is good.  Your in the normal range.  Some people who have colon cancer have up over 1,000 of a CEA. 

My mom was diagnosed with rectal CA with metasis to liver in October.  We started chemo just after Christmas and her baseline CEA was 55... a month later CEA jumped to 138 (this was after two chemo treatments, Avastin, Oxalyplatin and Xeloda)... any experiences with such a jump in a short time????

While this is low, don't just go by it.  My husband's has never been above 65 and is currently 21.  Has stage IV Colon Cancer, had a resection done and has been on many different chemos over the last 24 months without success.  The cancer is in the lymph nodes and both lobes of the liver.  We just found out last week after a CT scan that the cancer has gone into his both lungs and the spots in his liver are bigger and more numerous.  So while this number can be used as a marker, don't be overly reliant on it.  Get a CT or PET scan to confirm.

Hi

Not all tumours give off CEA, so you may not have a high level. When I was diagnosed with stage IV rectal cancer a year ago, my CEA was over 2000.  It is now below 60 following radiotherapy, chemo (FOLFOX4), radiofrequency ablation to liver. CEA is useful in following how you are responding to treatment or if you have recurrence. Another useful marker is CA19-9 for bowel cancers.

The reference ('normal') range is less than 3.

more info here...

http://www.labtestsonline.org.uk/understanding/analytes/cea/

I am sorry to hear that your husbands cancer is not responding to chemo. Has he tried Avastin at all? I had a very large dose of Avastin for a few months and it seemed to whip my cancer metastisis into shape. I weigh about 130 lbs and was given 30mg (6 times the normal dose). It does come with serious side effects at that dose but if nothing else is working it is worth a try. Peace and prayers for both of you. Linda

 

On 2/7/2007 Jillpls wrote:

HI,

I am not sure about the CEA test.  I show 0.9 for my CEA.  This hasn't changed since I had first been diagnosed with rectal cancer in August.  I went through 6 weeks of chemo/radiation and the CEA was the same after.  I did have surgery and am now on Folfox6 for 4-6 months.  Is 0.9 high or low.  It seems to be low but I'm confused.  Does anyone understand the markers???  Thank you  

Hi Jil,

I'm happy to share what I know of CEA counters from our three year experience. 

C= carcenogenic     E= embryonic              A= antigens

We have been keeping an eye on the CEA tests along with CT scans  for my husband's colon cancer for almost THREE years now. Here are the numbers for a normal  CEA test.   0 -- 4.9    You are FINE girl!

 My hubby's first CEA count was THIRTY SEVEN when colon cancer was first detected by the biopsy taken when he had a colonoscopy.After surgery (where they also found a TINY spot on the liver which was removed and biopsied and it came back as colon cancer) his  CEA count went down to 4,7   and stayed there for about six months.  After a CT scan the number shot up and a  spot showed up on his lung and kept growing.They removed that and the CEA count dropped somewhat but not much.  The follow up CT scans then showed a spot on his liver and chemo was ordered. He had four different types of chemo treatments during this time and the count kept going up. None of the chemo treatments reduced the new spot on the liver. Surgery for the liver was not an option. All further medical treatments (interventions) were halted last week.His CEA count last month was well over 400 and the spot had doulbled in size..I didn't ask what last week's  CEA count was.

Good Luck Jil,

It looks as if you are one of the lucky ones who got it caught early. 

God Bless 

Ellie

 

On 2/12/2007 Jellybeans wrote:

I am sorry to hear that your husbands cancer is not responding to chemo. Has he tried Avastin at all? I had a very large dose of Avastin for a few months and it seemed to whip my cancer metastisis into shape. I weigh about 130 lbs and was given 30mg (6 times the normal dose). It does come with serious side effects at that dose but if nothing else is working it is worth a try. Peace and prayers for both of you. Linda

Yes, he was on Avastin biweekly with another chemo on the opposing week.  His cancer still multiplied, but no where near like it spread when he was on Panitumumab (Vectibix).  With Panitumumab, the lesions in his liver increased in number and size and he now has it in both lobes of his lungs, which were always clean.  He was on Avastin two different times, but I don't know the dosage and don't remember what he took in combination with the Avastin.  With Avastin the lesions grew in size and number in the liver, but a little slower than with the Panitumumab.  I'll ask his doctor about the dosage, etc he was given, thank you.  And thank you for your prayers.

You could also try this suggestion from the University of Michigan. They suggested that I go on this trial if the chemo I was on stopped working. It is Cetuximab (Erbitux), Irinotecan, and Mitomycin C. I again am sorry to hear what he has been using is  not working. Prayers and hugs, Linda

Ellie, my understanding of your husbands cancer treatment is that he now only has cancer in his liver and it has doubled in size. Why if you don't mind my asking is liver suggery not an option. Sometimes doctors think old fashioned ways and do not want to give modern technology a chance. I am from Michigan and am recovering from a liver resection. I was told I was not a candidate for liver intervention too until I talked to a wonderful surgeon who said I was a perfect candidate. He did a resection and removed my liver tumor which was right next to a major artery. He used radiofrequendy ablation in the surrounding tissue to reduce blood loss to 1/10 of what I would have lost otherwise. My doctors all disagreed with this surgeons plan as the doctors wanted me to just use chemo until it didn't work any more because of my previous metastisis. I now am off chemo and NED. There are other options for liver tumors as well. HAI, cryablation?, radio frequency ablation, resection, etc. Just wanted to make sure your husband is working with modern technology and being given every chance to make it. My prayers are with you both. Linda