Tired

My Oncologist is giving me another weeks break from chemotherapy as I am so tired, so fatigued.   So the 26th of April is chemo day.

I am a bit irritated that I still a few days shy of two weeks do not have my last CEA numbers.  To me these are very important as they are a good indicator for me how my cancer is doing.

(What is CEA?


CEA stands for carcinoembryonic antigen. CEA is a type of protein molecule that can be found in many different cells of the body, but is typically associated with certain tumors and the developing fetus. The word "carcinoembryonic" reflects the fact that CEA is produced by some cancers ("carcino-") and by the developing fetus ("-embryonic").

How is CEA measured?

CEA is most frequently tested in blood. It can also be tested in body fluids and in biopsy tissue.

What is the normal range for CEA blood levels?

The normal range for CEA in an adult non-smoker is <2.5 ng/ml and for a smoker <5 ng/ml before therapy are associated with cancer which has already spread (metastatic disease).

What conditions can cause an elevated CEA?

Both benign and malignant (harmless and cancerous) conditions can increase the CEA level. The most frequent cancer which causes an increased CEA is cancer of the colon and rectum. Others include cancers of the pancreas, stomach, breast, lung, and certain types of thyroid and ovarian cancer. Benign conditions which can elevate CEA include smoking, infections, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and some benign tumors in the same organs in which an elevated CEA indicates cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause a temporary rise in CEA due to the death of tumor cells and release of CEA into the blood stream. Benign disease does not usually cause an increase above 10 ng/ml.

What are the limitations of CEA testing?

CEA is not an effective screening test for hidden (occult) cancer since early tumors do not cause significant blood elevations. Also, many tumors never cause an abnormal blood level, even in advanced disease. Because there is variability between results obtained between laboratories, the same laboratory should do repeat testing when monitoring a patient with cancer.

For some people it is an ongoing indicator of how their cancer is doing ~ (like me) for others (Like REB) their CEA has never risen so is not a good indicator of how the cancer is doing.)

So it's kinda of important to "me" to know what it is each time after I have chemo (takes about a week usually to get it, have no clue why it is taking so long this time)
 
Right after chemotherapy I am okay but then the fatigue hits and I can stay in bed, can get on the computer for short periods, and watch tv, but then usually after about 4 days I am back to tired but can function, this time almost two weeks and I am just barely getting my energy back a bit.