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What Does CEA Level Of 13.5 Indicate?
Question: Hi, thank you. I have a question, my father cea level is 13.5 n/mol which XXXXXXX to 16.5, have done lower endoscopy but no cancer or ulcer found. He is 53 years old , a heavy / chain smoker, starting to have rheumatoid arthritis. Other readings: uric acid 443 n/mol, sgpt/alt 47, ggt 87, triglycerides 3.5n/mol. Is the cea level normal? What type of further diagnosis to recommend?
Brief answer...given below
Detailed answer...
Hello,
Thanks for the query.
I have read your query and understood your concern but I want to ask why the CEA test was ordered because this test is not done as a screening test and is generally done to evaluate the response of treatment in an allready diagnosed case of certain cancers like colon,pancreas,rectum,breast,ovary etc.
CEA levels of your father are definitely high,Since normal levels are considered to be below 5 for smokers.
Apart from the cancers mentioned above,other non cancerous conditions like hepatitis,cirrhosis,gall bladder inflammations,lung diseases like emphysema,heavy smoking can cause rise in CEA.
Although prima facie high CEA level of your father could be because of heavy smoking and COPD which he might be having,you should get a plain X ray chest along with ultrasound/ CT of abdomen done,to look for any lung or abdominal pathology.
You may repeat the CEA test after few weeks of cessation of smoking.
If chest and abdomen come clear in the investigations,then you can be reasonably sure that high CEA could be due to smoking only.
I hope it helps,however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks
Detailed answer...
Hello,
Thanks for the query.
I have read your query and understood your concern but I want to ask why the CEA test was ordered because this test is not done as a screening test and is generally done to evaluate the response of treatment in an allready diagnosed case of certain cancers like colon,pancreas,rectum,breast,ovary etc.
CEA levels of your father are definitely high,Since normal levels are considered to be below 5 for smokers.
Apart from the cancers mentioned above,other non cancerous conditions like hepatitis,cirrhosis,gall bladder inflammations,lung diseases like emphysema,heavy smoking can cause rise in CEA.
Although prima facie high CEA level of your father could be because of heavy smoking and COPD which he might be having,you should get a plain X ray chest along with ultrasound/ CT of abdomen done,to look for any lung or abdominal pathology.
You may repeat the CEA test after few weeks of cessation of smoking.
If chest and abdomen come clear in the investigations,then you can be reasonably sure that high CEA could be due to smoking only.
I hope it helps,however you may revert to me for any further query.
Best of luck
Thanks
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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