Before I was diagnosed with cancer, the only time I recall ever seeing the acronym "CEA" was in connection with Centro Ecologico Akumal in Quintana Roo. In connection with the human body, however, it is short for Carcinoembryonic Anitgen, which is a tumor marker for colon cancer. It is also a marker for other cancers, including lung cancer. For some people, CEA is an accurate indicator of cancer and if it is increasing or decreasing. For other people, not quite as accurate or downright pretty much a non-starter for information of value.
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| Click on graph to enlarge it and see in full. |
CEA has been a pretty good indicator for me, though I do not get tested much anymore. Already know there is cancer, so not much knowledge to be gained, though I did get tested today, for the first time in about 14 months. It takes a bit longer to get results, and just got them. When I looked, it was kind of what I was expecting. But more. I actually chuckled more than go "##$&*&$" when I saw it.
The nice part of the system is that it produces a graph of my blood test history. The graph shows how my CEA went. The green section (far left) shows the CEA when my cancer was discovered, then the drop after the tumor was removed.
The mustard/orange section shows from shortly after starting chemotherapy until the end of chemotherapy. On the the things that may happen during chemotherapy is that CEA goes up - yup it can be an indicator of how the chemo is doing and an increase in CEA may be happening as tumors start getting knocked off. But in one of my many snake-eyes I have rolled (yes, I am looking at you KRAS mutation and MSS among other things, but not saying it has been all snake-eyes, I am still here :) ) the pattern of a sharp increase and decline in CEA during chemo is indicative of a poorer long term prognosis. Yup my pattern.
Then once clear of chemo for a bit, the lung met came and went (purple range). There was then the two year period of somewhat stable CEA in normal range as the cancer did whatever it did in regrouping. The light blue is the point right after I started back on chemo. Could have been the cancer, could have been chemo working. I had no idea, though a year later, I am guessing it is cancer.
Anyway, when I was diagnosed it was 8.5, then dropped to under 4 post surgery. (Note some labs have a different way of reporting CEA numbers, sort of like how SAT scoring has changed back and forth. Numbers look really different, but idea the same.) Peaked at almost 9 following first chemo sessions in 2015, then under 5 before popping up to over 6 three months later (lung tumor) then back under 4. Today was over 14.
Not sure if something kicked in, maybe FOLFORI took a bit more time to work some more magic, or just cancer going around having a party throughout my body. Okay, I am pretty sure I know. But I also know that so far in February I have biked 60 miles, ran over 12 miles and have done over 2 1/2 miles in the pool as part of #triathlontraining And this includes a recovery week already in February, meaning less workouts.
My oncologist has a couple of more potential drug trials. And we are both in agreement, no chemo for now because I am still doing what I am doing and really asymptomatic for the most part.
@itri4aCure @embracetheslow #itri4acure #embracetheslow
