Colon cancer

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After 3 years with every thing going well to have a blood test and the results telling you that the CEA level has jumped into danger level and the prognostic is that your cancer has not only come back but has moved somewhere else in your body.

How in hells name do you cope after two major cancer ops and colon and lymphoma cancer and coming through that just to be told 3 years into the recovery programme that the cancer has come back somewhere else on your body

court over 3 years ago

Hi Colon

Its a difficult time for sure . Have you had a CT scan ? Did you get your actual reading for the CEA . I am just trying to work out if they have actually confirmed a spread . 50% approximately of CEA readings are false positives .
I need to pop out just now but I will come back on and share the research link .

Take care ,

Court

Helpline Number 0808 808 0000

Colon over 3 years ago in reply to court

Ct scan to6 but CEA level now climbed to 10, first was 5.9

court over 3 years ago in reply to Colon

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24925201/
Hi Colon

This is the link that explains some of the research behind CEA spikes . Have your previous readings been over 5 .
My mum’s oncologist always watched for an increasing trajectory. Then moved to scan but my mum has had two false spikes . Scanned both times and they returned to normal .

She does now sit a little higher than normal . Possibly due to her age .

I can only say my mum has had a few recurrences. Only picked up on scans . They were quickly attended to and were caught early .

Take care.

Court

Helpline Number 0808 808 0000

Colon over 3 years ago in reply to court

Been through this when they found second lot of cancer moved from normal to 9, 17, 24.

This time steadily moving up from normal 2.8 to 4.7, 5.9 now today 6.9 so a steady climb.

Consultant told me 3 years ago about his fears of recurrence in my case.

Can only keep my fingers crossed, my wife is in bits as this will be the 3rd time on this journey

court over 3 years ago in reply to Colon

Hi ,

Its so hard on everyone . Both of my mum’s recurrences where detected on her scans . One in particular was caught at 7/8 mm and removed before it could do any harm . It was nothing like her more major surgeries. Depending on location some bowel cancer spreads are being controlled by radio frequency ablation which is less invasive.

I can totally sympathise with both yourself and your husband . It is very draining even going through the process to get scanned . I certainly found the not knowing and uncertain harder than knowing what they were hoping to do . But it was not the patient .

Thankfully bowel cancer is more fortunate than some other primaries as it still has a lot of treatments for bowel cancer with a spread .

Here for you . Stay in touch .

Court

Helpline Number 0808 808 0000