So June 2019 I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Hormone type - her negative had my surgery. No need for chemo (oncotype dx came back with 4% chance of reoccurrence)
my CEA marker was 7 at the time but the oncologist thought it was probably due to recent cancer.
this week I had my follow up test (covid & further surgery delayed) & the CEA test has come back even more elevated. It’s now at 9
so I have to have a PET scan next week. She didn’t seem to think it would be secondaries or reoccurrence (I’ve had mammogram in June & ultrasound 4 weeks ago - all clear)
I’m now worried I have a brand new cancer and my mood is fluctuating between - it’ll be ok to I don’t think I can cope with another cancer. I’ve had a bumpy ride the past 18 months with the cancer raising ancillary issues and it’s been set back after set back
And I’m just so exhausted about it all aside from the financial worries it brings, I really thought it was all behind me 
Hi
It's natural to worry that your elevated CEA marker could mean that you have a new cancer and I really hope that's not the case.
Now's the time to fall back on the coping techniques that you found worked for you last time to help reduce the time spent thinking about the what ifs.
Do you have a hobby you can spend time doing or have virtual meet-ups with friends for coffee? A lot of people find mindfulness really helpful and, if this is something that interests you, clicking here will take you to the NHS mental health page with links to apps, some of which are free. There's also really good advice in this article on how to ease worry when waiting for medical results.
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
