Ma had a blood test done the other day to check for tumor markers -- CA 15-3 and CEA. Her CA 15-3 is in the normal range. But her CEA is high -- 5.1. Normal is under 2.5. That could be a sign that her cancer is returning or has metastasized.
We have an appointment on Tuesday with the radiation oncologist. Pa will show her the test results. But I'd rather see Dr. Irwin, Ma's regular oncologist. According to this, Dr. Irwin may order additional tests such as a chest x-ray and CT scan. Maybe I'll stop by his office on Tuesday after seeing the radiation oncologist. He's in the same building.
At least the numbers are nowhere as high as in this study with CEAs of 15+ and 25+. Maybe Ma's CEA just needs to be monitored more often to see if it's heading up or down.
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