Q: i had a blood test cea and the result is <0.5 and am a smoker. is it normal?

Yes it is normal: Yes it is normal.Why did you have this test done at age of 25 even if you are a smoker.

Q: if cea levels are high (10-13) & all tests clear of any cancer can smoking be the only reason for such high cea? what would be normal cea?

Yes: Normal CEA is generally below 5. By the way, CEA is not a screening test. It is used to follow diseases that exist and hint, sometimes, at recurrence. If someone has a cancer, such as colon cancer, and is getting a CEA for follow-up, if they are a smoker, it might be elevated as you stated.

Q: make/29 non-smoker. i ordered a cea blood test and it came back at 3.2 is this high? im worried about colon cancer. grandmother had it at 48, but dad is fine?

: CEA is not a diagnostic test for cancer, any cancer. Given your history, you should get a colonoscopy by the time you turn 38 years of age. Discuss it with your doctor. For info on CEA: https://www.ucsfhealth.org/medical-tests/cea-blood-test#:~:text=The%20normal%20range%20is%200,to%205%20%C2%B5g%2FL).

Q: a friend has been told they have colon cancer, diagnosed via a tumour marker blood test, high cea, ct scan showed contained mass. is this conclusive?

Biopsy: Biopsy of the mass at colonoscopy is the only conclusive test, but the list of abnormalities identified is strongly concerning for colon cancer. Best wishes.

Q: i have le fraumeni syndrome which means at a high rick for cancer. should i wait to do biopsy on t4 thyroid nodule. and recheck in 6 months. blood test normal. cea is at 24. feels like something is in throat when swallow, horse a lot, sore throat?

: The threshold for biopsy a TR4 nodule is size of 15 mm or bigger. Thyroid cancer is not among the core cancers in patient with Li-Fraumeni syndrome so if your thyroid nodule size is less than 15 mm you can wait as advised by your doctor.

Q: how common is it for gastrointestinal cancers to cause an elevated cea level? is this even a meaningful test? does it correlate w/a prognostic factor?

Not for screening: A great many smokers have somewhat elevated CEA, and cancer patients with very high CEA will usually have their cancers spotted by ordinary methods. Every one of the serum tumor markers has proved worthless as a screen -- the extra cases they'd pick up are outweighed by the morbidity (not to mention expense) of fishing expeditions searching for most-nonexistent tumors.

Q: what is the meaning of cea test?

Maybe marks tumor: Cea is a protein that can be made by some malignant tumor cells (cancer-ca). Some benign diseases can increase CEA levels. High CEA doesn't make a diagnosis. Helpful for follow up. If ca diagnosed, CEA checked. If elevated, follow after treatment. So if CEA high before surgery, CEA should fall after, and with chemo/rt. Cea rises can be with recurrence or metastatic spread. Lower is better.

Question 1

hysterectomy & bilateral ovaries removed 17 yrs ago. recent ct abdomen says lesions in right and left adnexa, enlarged nodes. blood test results ca125 is 443 u/ml, ca19-9 is 161.7 u/ml, cea 72.8 ng/ml.colonscopy and endoscopy unremarkable.what next?

Accepted Answer

See gyn oncologist: Unfortunately this could be a sign of primary peritoneal cancer or other malignancy and you need to be evaluated by a gyn oncologist immediately.  Best of luck

Question 2

please explain what does a cea test result of 8.7 mean?

Accepted Answer

Depends...: ...On the situation.  Up to 3 would be considered "normal" for non smokers and 5 to 10 is expected in smokers but that is not cut and dry.  Depends on the lab and also what is "normal" for an individual.  I need to know why it was ordered because frankly, out of context that number has absolutely no meaning to me.  Ask the ordering doc, he/she can probably tell you better.

Question 3

hoping you can tell me, is level of 8 on a cea blood test highly elevated?

Accepted Answer

CEA test: Carcinoembryonic antigen test is to detect response to therapy in cancer patients, especially colon cancer, with normal range of less than 2.5 (less than 5 in heavy smokers). Note that a positive test may not always be indicative of cancer. Review with your doctor.

Question 4

i had a blood test cea and the result is <0.5 and am a smoker. is it normal?

Accepted Answer

Yes it is normal: Yes it is normal.Why did you have this test done at age of 25 even if you are a smoker.

Question 5

if cea levels are high (10-13)  & all tests clear of any cancer can smoking be the only reason for such high cea?  what would be normal cea?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Normal CEA is generally below 5.
By the way, CEA is not a screening test. It is used to follow diseases that exist and hint, sometimes, at recurrence. If someone has a cancer, such as colon cancer, and is getting a CEA for follow-up, if they are a smoker, it might be elevated as you stated.

Question 6

make/29 non-smoker. i ordered a cea blood test and it came back at 3.2 is this high? im worried about colon cancer. grandmother had it at 48, but dad is fine?

Accepted Answer

: CEA is not a diagnostic test for cancer, any cancer. Given your history, you should get a colonoscopy by the time you turn 38 years of age. Discuss it with your doctor.
For info on CEA:
https://www.ucsfhealth.org/medical-tests/cea-blood-test#:~:text=The%20normal%20range%20is%200,to%205%20%C2%B5g%2FL).

Question 7

a friend has been told they have colon cancer, diagnosed via a tumour marker blood test, high cea, ct scan showed contained mass. is this conclusive?

Accepted Answer

Biopsy: Biopsy of the mass at colonoscopy is the only conclusive test, but the list of abnormalities identified is strongly concerning for colon cancer. Best wishes.

Question 8

i have le fraumeni syndrome which means at a high rick for cancer. should i wait to do biopsy on t4 thyroid nodule. and recheck in 6 months. blood test normal. cea is at 24. feels like something is in throat when swallow, horse a lot, sore throat?

Accepted Answer

: The threshold for biopsy a TR4 nodule is size of 15 mm or bigger. Thyroid cancer is not among the core cancers in patient with Li-Fraumeni syndrome so if your thyroid nodule size is less than 15 mm you can wait as advised by your doctor.

Question 9

how common is it for gastrointestinal cancers to cause an elevated cea level? is this even a meaningful test? does it correlate w/a prognostic factor?

Accepted Answer

Not for screening: A great many smokers have somewhat elevated CEA, and cancer patients with very high CEA will usually have their cancers spotted by ordinary methods. Every one of the serum tumor markers has proved worthless as a screen -- the extra cases they'd pick up are outweighed by the morbidity (not to mention expense) of fishing expeditions searching for most-nonexistent tumors.

Question 10

what is the meaning of cea test?

Accepted Answer

Maybe marks  tumor: Cea is a protein that can be made by some malignant tumor cells  (cancer-ca).  Some benign diseases can increase CEA levels.
High CEA doesn't make a diagnosis.  Helpful for follow up. If ca diagnosed, CEA checked.  If elevated, follow after treatment.  So if CEA high before surgery, CEA should fall after, and with chemo/rt.  Cea rises can be with recurrence or metastatic spread. Lower is better.

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Doctor answers about:

Cea test results high

A member asked:

Hysterectomy & bilateral ovaries removed 17 yrs ago. recent ct abdomen says lesions in right and left adnexa, enlarged nodes. blood test results ca125 is 443 u/ml, ca19-9 is 161.7 u/ml, cea 72.8 ng/ml.colonscopy and endoscopy unremarkable.what next?

A member asked:

Please explain what does a cea test result of 8.7 mean?

A member asked:

Hoping you can tell me, is level of 8 on a cea blood test highly elevated?

A member asked:

I had a blood test cea and the result is <0.5 and am a smoker. is it normal?

A member asked:

If cea levels are high (10-13) & all tests clear of any cancer can smoking be the only reason for such high cea? what would be normal cea?

A member asked:

Make/29 non-smoker. i ordered a cea blood test and it came back at 3.2 is this high? im worried about colon cancer. grandmother had it at 48, but dad is fine?

A member asked:

A friend has been told they have colon cancer, diagnosed via a tumour marker blood test, high cea, ct scan showed contained mass. is this conclusive?

A member asked:

I have le fraumeni syndrome which means at a high rick for cancer. should i wait to do biopsy on t4 thyroid nodule. and recheck in 6 months. blood test normal. cea is at 24. feels like something is in throat when swallow, horse a lot, sore throat?

A member asked:

How common is it for gastrointestinal cancers to cause an elevated cea level? is this even a meaningful test? does it correlate w/a prognostic factor?

A member asked:

What is the meaning of cea test?

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