A standalone Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) blood test typically costs between $37 and $99.

CEA is not a perfect test, but elevated levels can be a warning sign that something is wrong. So why aren’t we making this information more accessible to patients as part of proactive health discussions?

I am living with stage 4 lung cancer.

In September 2022, I was misdiagnosed with Meniere’s disease when my vertigo began. For nearly two years, I believed that was the cause of my symptoms.

It wasn’t until May 2024 that I learned the truth—it was cancer.

By then, it had already progressed to stage 4, 1 tumor in my left lung, 18 tumors in my brain.

Elevated CEA marker levels can be detected on stage 1 patients, wouldn't that be a big improvement?

That is why I am speaking out.

This is not about replacing medical guidelines. It is about awareness, access, and giving people the opportunity to ask more questions and potentially detect serious disease earlier.

Because the real question is:
Wouldn’t you want to know sooner—before it reaches stage 4?

Insurance companies may use biomarkers like CEA as part of evaluating health risk. Patients deserve access to that same information so they can advocate for themselves earlier, not later.

This is not just my story even though it touched my family in ways too profound to comprehend.
This is about closing a gap that affects countless others.

Please stand with me against cancer.