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I'm planning to stop seeing the oncologist all together and stick with my onc surgeon, gastroenterologist and family doctor because I can't live my life with no answers. Ask oncologist if I need to have a CT scan for this checkup. Elevated levels of CEA occur when the CEA is higher than 3 ng/mL. Thank you for any help or advice! Declining levels of testosterone may be a red flag for impaired levels of muscle repair. Doctors dont use the CEA test to make a first-time diagnosis of cancer. Sensitivity of CEA ranged from 17.4 % to 100 %, specificity ranged from 66.1 % to 98.4 %, positive predictive value ranged from 45.8 % to 95.2% and negative predictive value ranged from 74.5 % to 100 %. Non-Cancerous Reasons for Elevated Levels of Ca-15-3 include Liver disease (cirrhosis, hepatitis), lupus, sarcoid, tuberculosis, non-cancerous breast lesions, endometriosis, hypothyroidism and pelvic inflammatory disease. Diabetes, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and colonic polyps were considered as causes of false elevation. Litvak A, Cercek A, Segal N, Reidy-Lagunes D, Stadler ZK, Yaeger RD, Kemeny NE, Weiser MR, Pessin MS, Saltz L. False-positive elevations of carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with a history of resected colorectal cancer. Theres no magic number or threshold for a CEA test that points to cancer. Search for: As you are Id be very concerned and trying my best to determine why the CEA levels are raised. However, serum CEA levels fluctuate over time even in the same individuals. What could be going on?? So we're all scratching our heads wondering what is going on. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the A carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test measures a specific blood glycoprotein called CEA. Use of this online service is subject to the disclaimer and the terms and conditions. Benign conditions which can elevate CEA include smoking, infections, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and some benign tumors in the same organs in which an elevated CEA level indicates cancer. Generally, healthcare providers consider typical CEA levels to be between 0 and 2.9 ng/mL. Healthy adults should have very little or no CEA in their body. On the same train of thought, well differentiated tumors are felt to be a better prognostic indicator over poorly differentiated tumor cells which they say express less CEA. Not every pancreatic cancer will cause elevated levels of CA 19-9, and some non-cancerous conditions (like pancreatitis and jaundice) can cause high levels of CA 19-9. This must be confirmed , as the CEA test by itself is not specific enough to substantiate a recurrence of a cancer. I had 11 out of 20 or 21 nodes with cancer. My oncologist orders my blood work to be done every 3 weeks and always includes the CEA test as well Would you mind me asking what stage your colon cancer was? Stress also causes an increase in blood sugar, which means the vessels can't dilate or contract to better control blood flow. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), the level of which is known to increase in both patients with gastrointestinal cancers and those with non-neoplastic conditions, is one of the most widely-used tumor markers. Should I go get a colonoscopy?? Keywords: Of course, it may take some time to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted And for some people, CEA isn't even a good indicator. What questions or next steps would be reasonable to ask her? Does anyone have a similar experience to this? CEA is a protein normally found in the tissue of a developing baby in the womb. The level of a tumor maker may not go up until after the cancer is advanced. The blood level of this protein disappears or becomes very low after birth. Elevated levels of CEA occur when the CEA is higher than 3 ng/mL. Thus, we suggest that exercise for 2-3 days per week decreases the expression of CEA and improves body condition, without loading fatigue or stress, which may contribute to preventing cancer in the elderly women. Healthy cells also may make tumor markers in very low levels. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. 3. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Keep us posted My mom passed away last week (July 19th) and the two weeks have been very stressful. I had 23 lymph nodes removed and all of them were clear, and I also had a CT scan that was good. Case Report: CEA Elevation Can Be a Marker of Increased Inflammation During Treatment with Oxaliplatin. I wish you all the best and negative cancer findings! They know a lot more about CEA and other markers than you might guess. Confirmation of CEA elevation in this range before initiating imaging studies may be appropriate. Yeah - there are several studies that show a pretty high false-positive rate for CEA in ppl like us who have had a resection. CEA levels can be an indicator of how well cancer is responding to treatment.CEA levels can also rise even when there is no cancer present. I am going to see my GP in an hour. Your email address will not be published. Your healthcare provider may use a CEA test to: A CEA test is usually a blood test. No but his office called today. False-positive results greater than 15 ng/mL are rare, and all confirmed CEA levels greater than 35 ng/mL were associated with cancer recurrence. Does that fit in you case? Hello Ginger, These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Mine hadnt gone over 3 until I had the remaining colon removed. 'Recurrence' in this context generally means metastasis and then a ~30% chance of 5yr survival. 1998-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. This was in November of 2016. Stress hormones can inhibit a process called anoikis, which kills diseased cells and . Exercise is known to contribute to increased levels of potassium, urea, creatinine, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, uric acid, as well as the white blood cell count. Elevated serum CEA is not highly specific for colon cancer recurrence, while various other gastrointestinal disorders such as pancreatitis, peptic ulcer disease, biliary tract abnormalities (benign or malignant) and liver disorders may contribute to increased serum CEA and false-positive results [2]. Our findings clearly indicated that immobilization stress results in enhanced serum CEA level whether the stress is acute or chronic. The results of my CT scan were good. Just bumped to 4. Our findings clearly indicated that immobilization stress results in enhanced serum CEA level whether the stress is acute or chronic. Consistent with our finding, there are reports suggesting that stress can increase tumor growth and tumor marker expression . I had melanoma on my". I was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2009. ~Ellen. Elevated circulating CEA levels occur in patients with benign gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders. Spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid or CSF). I am aware(via reading others' posts that in the scheme of things, my CEA number is not a huge "red flag or alarm" but it is to me. Do you need to empty your bladder before a CEA test? Serum CEA levels fluctuate over time in healthy individuals, and the intraindividual variation has been reported to be about 30% . I am ER+, PR+ and HER2 Neg. Some forms of CRC are unlikely to be associated with elevated CEA, and also those same types have poor prognosis, however in others types of CRC, elevated CEA does correlate with poorer outcomes and suggests metastitisis to liver or lung (primarily, but others ) . Normal range: < 2.5 ng/ml. At that time they removed 1/3 of my colon. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a serological marker of malignant tumors, demonstrates a modest increase under nonmalignant conditions such as aging and smoking. Thank you for all the repsonses regarding CEA blood test. https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cea/tab/test/. CEA levels will generally return to normal between one and four months after the cancer has been successfully removed. Two Cases of Transiently Elevated Serum CEA Levels in Severe Hypothyroidism without Goiter.. PubMed. I am scheduled for my flexoidoscopy on June 19th. Their levels can be elevated even in well controlled disease. "Chronic stress also can help cancer grow and spread in a number of ways," Sood says. Over the next 7 years I was having regular colonoscopies and the doctor removed polyps every time. However a steadily increasing trend does merit attention Your increase is very small too, so I would suspect stress might be the issue there. The anxiety and concern you have should also be conveyed, especially if you have been a patient of this dr for a while. Your increase is very small too, so I would suspect stress might be the issue there. Cochrane reviews (highly respected meta-studies that are often used as guidelines) suggest a CEA of 10 as a trigger to start looking for recurrence. That comes back clear. If your CEA is 30 or above, it's pretty much a certainty there is something going on. I was already scheduled to have a small bowel capsule endoscopy. I recently had a blood test for a life insurance company to see if I would qualify for coverage. Research has linked blood CEA levels greater than 3.8 units per milliliter (ml) with an increased risk of the ovarian tumor being . I know that you and a lot of folks here have equal or worse odds & worse issues to face, but the picture isn't pretty even at my shallow end of this pool. But a rise in CEA level four to six weeks after initiation of therapy doesnt necessarily mean treatment failure, relapse or recurrence. Tobacco use can lead to elevated CEA levels. During a blood test, your healthcare provider takes a small blood sample from one of your veins. How to live, always looking over your shoulder is the issue. Usually, people are born with high CEA levels that decrease as they get older. 11. Our findings clearly indicated that immobilization stress results in enhanced serum CEA level whether the stress is acute or chronic. If your creatinine level is above normal range . What is a bad CEA level? During pregnancy, CEA levels tend to be high. It instead should be used in people whove been previously diagnosed with certain types of cancer, most commonly colorectal cancer. Thank you for all the repsonses regarding CEA blood test. False-positive CEA test results in the range of 5 to 15 ng/mL are common. CEA has been a constant bane to me since my initial diagnosis in 2012. There was no evidence of disease during this time and he remains disease-free. @colleenyoung @diannechildress My CEA has been staying between 1.7 and 2.4 since my colon cancer was removed b on 1/16. Symptoms of inflammation include: Redness. CEA stands for carcinoembryonic antigen. I had 2 follow ups since the surgery. We postulate that this patient's rising CEA level was secondary to an inflammatory response to oxaliplatin-based therapy, which is further supported by the . Disclaimer. Six patients had at least three CEA values and four were included in the study. That scan was clear. This type of no-end-in-sight stress can weaken your immune system, leaving you prone to diseases like cancer. Carcinoembryonic antigen blood . Sensitivity of CEA ranged from 17.4 % to 100 %, specificity ranged from 66.1 % to 98.4 %, positive predictive value ranged from 45.8 % to 95.2% and negative predictive value ranged from 74.5 % to 100 %. If your CEA levels significantly decrease throughout treatment, it often means your treatment is working. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem? These levels are considered abnormal. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. A retrospective cohort study of metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy, with an exploratory analysis of changing serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels. As far as questions to ask your dr, I might ask if the test should be done again. CEA is typically reported in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). That would be a simple first step. Biotin can affect the results of the test. Jul 28, 2013 10:23 PM. In addition to the CEA coming up, I have an MRI Enterography coming up to add to the marathon testing check box. Has anyone experienced fluctuation in their results? Just try not to get too bogged down in them. What is the normal range for CEA blood levels? His CEA level increased significantly during oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy and declined to a near normal level after completion of therapy. Cleveland Clinics Robert J. Tomsich Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Institute touches virtually every patient at Cleveland Clinic and thousands of patients across the world. In contrast, the progression risk appeared to be lower for patients with CEA levels lower than 26.8 ng/mL, but a significance level was not reached. Mine was Stage 1 with T2 tumor, 23 lymph nodes with no cancer spread. I continue to visit my dermatologist every 4-6 months, no additional melanoma has been found.in 11 years. Taking baby steps as I continue to monitor my health, which, seems to be just fine. "While we know that CEA levels can help identify patients with potentially resectable disease, this study should help make clinicians aware of the fact that the likelihood of a recurrence depends on the level of CEA elevation and whether or not . Oxaliplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy that is an integral part of several regimens for colorectal cancer. But I've NEVER had a CEA below 1.0. Go to the Colorectal Cancer Support Group. He said all along that polyps typically don't cause CEA elevation. Elevated levels of CEA occur when the CEA is higher than 3 ng/mL. Few people are aware that exercise, especially intense activity, can significantly alter certain laboratory tests. Go to the Colorectal Cancer Support Group. I wouldn't worry. (Btw, my recent surgery was the day after yours. 2006 Nov 20;24(33):5313-27. She is seeing a different oncologist and the same topic came up about CEA rise and when one should worry. Of course CEA can be elevated for entirely non-cancerous reasons. But this test isnt used in isolation. My heart goes out to you and I am sending you a hug {{{{{{{{ }}}}}}}}. The carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test measures the level of CEA in the blood. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. My perioperative CEA was 5.8 (August 2016, non-smoker). Drink more water? I believe this is called cell apoptosis (sp?). Your email address will not be published. But stress isn't [] The oncologist told me that the CEA is the most unreliable tumor marker and many things. A coordinator will follow up to see if Mayo Clinic is right for you. can stress raise cea levels. 2010 May;21(5):1013-9. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdp449. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Healthcare providers dont use the CEA test to screen for or diagnose cancer. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The normal range of CA 19-9 is between 0 and 37 U/mL (units/milliliter), but people with pancreatic cancer often have higher levels. . I was statge I crc, had a partial colectomy . It is just one tool in the oncology toolbox. Connect with thousands of patients and caregivers for support, practical information, and answers. as long as 4/29/2017 petscan is good,blood levels remain good, and liver functions remain normal, and tumors are shrinking the plan is erbitux every 2 weeks as maintenance as long as necessary. I guess we'll see if my oncologist is correct in two weeks. Caffeine, Alcohol, and Tobacco. It's not how low can you go, it's a matter of staying within normal limits (WNL). So what's going on? CEA decreases as you get older, but some conditions, including certain types of cancer, can increase your blood CEA levels. What is the normal range for CEA blood levels? When You Breathe In Your Diaphragm Does What. Joint pain. Its typically used for monitoring response to treatment including relapses and to look for possible recurrences. 1 in 4 is pretty significant. I'm tagging a few other members who may also have experience", "@colleenyoung @diannechildress My CEA has been staying between 1.7 and 2.4 since my colon cancer was". Mine commonly ran around 5.0 while I remained cancer-free. 20% of recurrences have no elevated CEA, and at CEA of 10, 68% of recurrences are identified with a positive, while 97% of negatives are true. But one thing is for sure and I've seen a paper state this. In some patients, the serum CEA level becomes positive in the absence of recurrence. A 2019 study, for example, showed that stress hormones can increase the number of pro-tumor immune cells in tumors. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. That's a hard loss at any age. It can cause you to overeat, overeat and drink, or over-compensate for the stress. This test isnt an accurate way to screen for it because many other diseases can cause the levels of this protein to rise. And I DO appreciate the conversation. We all get caught up in the stats, it is difficult not to when you are dealing with this. Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Accessibility The CEA test is only one piece of the puzzle. Sometimes a test result that is above 40 is considered proof that breast cancer has spread, but this isn't always the case. 2020 Nov;20(5):213. doi: 10.3892/ol.2020.12076. CEA does not tell you what is going on, only that something might be going on and might be worth checking out. Two distinct patterns of CEA rise were observed: a fast rise in which serum concentrations reached 100 microgram/l within 6 months of the first elevation and a slow rise in which concentrations remained less than 75 microgram/l for at least 12 months. Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/11/2022. It may also suggest that the cancer has metastasized, or spread, to other parts of your body. Everyone is born with high levels of this protein. (CEA is elevated in 19% of smokers and only 3% of the non-smoking healthy population.) They are not very "specific," meaning non-cancer health issues can also cause these levels to be higher. Everyone thinks, this was the cause of my CEA spike. undefined will no longer be visible to you including posts, replies, and photos. However your CEA level goes up and down over time, just like your blood sugar level, blood pressure and heart rate. A CEA test measures your levels of CEA. I wish all the best and pray for all. I had a CT with contrast done a few weeks prior to meeting up with my oncologist and having the CEA done. My CEA number from the recent blood test showed my CEA to be 4.9(which the company puts an average range of 0.2.5 or up to 3.0. 2004;43(5):495-8. doi: 10.1080/02841860410032380. I've reviewed the stats for my situation. "ca 125=54 and endometriosis ..any relation? Other Conditions Can Cause Elevated CA 15-3 Levels. High CEA levels may also be a sign of some noncancerous conditions, such as cirrhosis, noncancerous breast disease, and emphysema. I hope you can get some rest and time to restore yourself now. I have had my mammogram done and it is clear, I dont have any more colon so it cant be colon cancer, I had a hysterectomy when I was in my 20s so that rules out ovarian cancer. Had a lymphedectomy(?) Anticancer Drugs. Key Takeaways: Tumor markers are substances found in the blood. Different labs may have slightly different references ranges and clinicians may consider higher thresholds depending on the individual circumstances. Therefore, false-positive results can result in unnecessary radiation exposure, costs, and anxiety. Collect a sample of CSF, pleural fluid or peritoneal fluid. How Stress Raises Cholesterol. It helps to talk with others about their experiences. CEA levels normally become very low or disappear after birth. But some types of cancer can increase this protein. Last year, during my normal checkup, CEA was run again and to my surprise.9.7. My oncologist tends to rely more on scans and blood work and my overall well being and keep me grounded to not get too excited