Sensitivity in early-stage colorectal cancer is very low and increases with the stage of the disease. Studies reporting sensitivity vary in the cut off for what constitutes a normal CEA level so results are varied. Due to the low sensitivity and specificity of the CEA test, it is not recommended that it be used for screening of healthy individuals or for the diagnosis of early colorectal cancer. A CEA level should be ordered only after malignancy has been confirmed. Similar considerations apply to the diagnosis of breast cancer.

The sensitivity of CEA is too low for it to be used as a primary diagnostic test. Although the prognosis for operable breast cancers is reportedly worse if serum CEA and cancer antigen CA levels are above normal, the usefulness of this prognosis is limited due to the low sensitivity and specificity. In addition, the optimal cut-off levels remain unknown [ 10 ].

Some studies have shown that, in conjunction with other tumour markers CA It is not recommended in the routine surveillance of breast cancer and should not be used in isolation for monitoring in advanced disease [ 4 ]. Ann Coloproctol. Epub Dec If you have selected the option to have an At Home Test Kit delivered to you, you will receive your test kit in the mail within 5 to 7 business days. Not all tests are available as At Home Test Kits.

Sign into your account to view and download your result reports. Cancer General Wellness. This comprehensive package combines over 50 tests, key metrics reflecting heart, diabetes, liver, kidney, thyroid, hormone, cancer and nutritional health.

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Toggle navigation. Toggle navigation Call or Text Message. Home Sign In. Sign Up For Newsletter - Discounts! Categories Close. Doctor's Order Included. Guide to Tumor Markers Used in Cancer This is a table of the most often used tumor markers, the cancers they can be found with, non-cancerous health issues that can cause them to be high, and the range of normal results.

References Abeloff, M. View All Close. Fallopian Tube Cancer. Kaposi's Sarcoma Kidney Cancer. OncoLink Vet Ovarian Cancer. Rectal Cancer. Urethral Cancer Urinary Tract Cancers. Vaginal Cancer Vulvar Cancer. View all Blogs. Thank you for your feedback!

Tweets by OncoLinkTeam. From the National Cancer Institute. Stay up to date with oncolink Receive the latest resources and updates in your inbox. Blood test blood serum marker , except where noted. Generally, a value of 0. Invasive procedure or infection of bladder or urinary tract. Liver disease cirrhosis, hepatitis , lupus, sarcoid, tuberculosis, non-cancerous breast lesions. CA Here is a little history:. Have teeth that broke off leaving the roots that need to be pulled, and 1 back tooth recently shaking and needing pulled.

Dentist also said there is an infection in the mouth and will be giving anti-biotics penicilin to treat it. So there may be inflammation involved. Exposure to cigarette smoke and other things can also cause a rise in CEA apparently.

As a non-smoker, only inflammation would make sense. Haven't been exposed to second hand smoke on a regular basis so that couldn't explain the consistent rise and whole point jumps, right? As for inflammation, due to infection in the mouth, how likely would that be to cause a consistent rise in CEA over 4 quarterly CEA tests, and whole point jumps?

Wouldn't it be more like a fluctuation up and down as your body fights the infection, with some days succeeding better than other days? And wouldn't the CEA value tick up more gradually by. It was the first time CEA broke 2. Further testing is required because abnormal CEA levels do not always indicate presence of cancers. While normal value ranges differ from one lab to another, CEA is a protein marker indicative of several types of cancers, especially colon cancer.

The CEA normal levels are different for smokers and nonsmokers. Usually, for adult nonsmokers, the normal CEA levels range from 0 to 2. For adult smokers, the levels are slightly higher, and normal levels range from 0 to 5. This difference in normal values is because smokers usually produce more CEA than nonsmokers.

However, nonsmokers, who are constantly in close contact with secondhand smoke may also have high CEA levels, without really having any kind of cancer. For those who have CEA levels higher than 5. However, in some cases, people may have higher levels of CEA without having cancers in their body.