Elevated CEA tumor marker

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ARTEXASQT
ARTEXASQT Member Posts: 21
edited August 2016 in Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results

Hello! Hope everyone is doing well. I met with my oncologist yesterday to discuss beginning Tamoxifen. They also did all the usual blood work they were doing before every chemo treatment. Everything is getting back to normal, but I have a question about my CEA (Carcinoembryonic antigen) result.

I had lumpectomy on March 11.

Blood work on March 28 showed CEA of 4.1 (0 - 6.6 is normal range).

Started chemo on April 29 and finished on July 1.

Blood work yesterday (August 3) showed CEA of 5.5.

I'm wondering why it would be higher after chemo treatment than it was before I started.

Just curious if any of you had similar results.

Thanks for your comments!

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  • lovetodance1
    lovetodance1 Member Posts: 62
    edited August 2016

    liver insulted by chemo... CEA metabolized in liver and now because of drugs being metabolized also in liver... clearance is lower for CEA..so it stays longer in blood. Fatty liver can also slow down liver. Did you have the other markers done. Ca153 or ca2729... these are better for breast .CEA mostly for Colon cancer.

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  • ARTEXASQT
    ARTEXASQT Member Posts: 21
    edited August 2016

    Ahhhh...gotcha! Thank you so much!

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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited August 2016

    My MO orders CEA regularly but she doesn't do it while patients are on chemo or soon after chemo. None of the markers are reliable while on chemo or soon thereafter.

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