why would they do a cea test if you don t have a colon or rectum.....my cea is up to 5.2,,,,i had previous colon cancer had total colect 4 years ago ...these docs r scaring the hell out of me...can someone out there give me some positive advice

With a past history of colon cancer, the CEA test helps monitor if there is any metastasis. The whole point in follow up is to check for any recurrence, so it can be dealt with at a very early point. The actual number is less important than what it is compared to past values for you. Even without your colon, it is the primary cancer site that determines what monitoring tests you have.

That said, having an elevation in your CEA does not necessarily mean there is metastatic cancer present, since some people just tend to run higher after surgery (and 5.2 does not seem particularly high to me). What it does mean is that further investigation is necessary to rule out metastasis.

What you need to do is take a deep breath and try to relax so you can take in all that your doctors are trying to tell you. While I am sure their aim is not to scare the pants off you, they also do not want you to be complacent about this. Get the whole story. Do the follow up. Then deal with what comes next. Until you know what is really going on, try not to panic.

Jan

My colon was removed due to cancer December 2006. Currently, I still have the CEA test twice per year along with the other routine blood tests for my visit with my oncologist.