My father visited his oncologist today. He was told that he had a CEA in the 90s, and that from what my sister said he has cancer in the fluids in his abdominal cavity and possibly in the lymphatic system. What is continued within normal limits for CEA. And what does a 90+ CEA count mean?
Hello,
How are you?
Going by your symptoms and the elevated levels of CEA, the possibility of cancer of the bowel especially colorectal cancer cannot be ruled out. Non-cancerous conditions that cause inflammation such as pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver and bowel diseases can also raise levels above normal. Moreover, the plasma CEA assay does not possess the sensitivity or the specificity required to discriminate between localized malignant tumors and benign disorders.
CEA independently cannot be used to establish a diagnosis of cancer. Other tests like sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy and biopsy are required to make a confirmatory diagnosis.
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