My dad's CEA level

[granny08]

My dad is 83.  He had colon cancer in 1988, then almost immediately lung cancer.  He had surgery, colostomy,
reversal of colostomy, lower lobe of one lung removed, and has flourished.  He walks everyday around 2 miles,
gardens and takes care of my mom who has dimentia.  Of course, it was a rough go of it and very hard on him
during all that.   He goes to his surgeon every year for a CEA test.  Just a month ago it went from a 3 to 51/2.
He underwent several tests:  colonoscopy, cat skan, pet scan , MRI of head.  Found Nothing at all.  Everything
has turned out very good.  His surgeron sent him to an oncologist and he wanted to do another CEA.  I t  has
now jumped up to 91/2.   His oncologist suggested they do it again in DEC.  We children (five of us) are wondering
what could be going on and what should be our next move.  We want our Dad around and love him very much.
Could you help?

[granny08]

Thank you so much for your prompt answer.   Will try to keep you informed
granny08

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  A persistent CEA level of 5 ng/ml or higher is a cause for concern in a patient who has had a previous history of colon cancer, as it may signify cancer recurrence.  However, your father has been extensively tested  for the presence of recurrent tumor and no evidence of it has been found.  This may mean either of two things. The first possibility is that the rise in CEA is not due to cancer  but to some other condition (CEA can also rise in pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis and ulcerative colitis).  The second possibility is that there is cancer recurrence, but is at present too small to be detected by the usual imaging procedures.  As of now, we don't know which of the two possibilities is true.  I guess you'll have to wait until December for the repeat CEA.  If it rises further, your dad's doctors might decide to do another round of tests to look for metastases.