When asked for their opinion on cancer tests, a lot of doctors say that, cancer blood tests and other lab tests are the first steps, which help a doctor to make a cancer diagnosis. As we wade through the dawn of 21st century, we are faced with newer diseases and never ending challenges. One such (a deadly one) is the cancer. It is a disease with no guaranteed cure and in most cases, it is fatal. More than 10 million people in a year, come in the cadaverous mouth of this monster.
Blood tests alone can also sometimes show the presence or absence of cancer. If the doctor suspects that you have cancer, he may like to order certain cancer blood tests or other laboratory tests, such as an analysis of urine or a biopsy of a suspicious area, to help guide the diagnosis. Cancer blood tests give the doctor clues to the body's inside, which can very well be the missing pieces from the puzzle. Just because the doctor has ordered cancer blood tests or other tests to look for signs of cancer doesn't mean that a cancer diagnosis has been made and you have cancer.
Reduce your anxiety by learning more about cancer blood tests, how they are done and how they prove to be lifesaving.
The Blood Tests
Samples collected with cancer blood tests are always analyzed in a lab for signs of cancer. The samples may show cancer cells directly, proteins or any other substance made by the cancer. Blood tests give the doctor an idea of how well your organs are functioning and if they've been affected by any cancer.
Examples of blood tests used to diagnose cancer include:
1. Complete blood count (CBC): This common test measures the amount of various types of blood cells in your blood sample. The abnormality is in terms of too many or too few cells of a particular type or abnormal cells.
2. Blood protein testing (electrophoresis): This test examines various proteins in blood and can aid in detecting certain abnormal immune system proteins (immunoglobulins) that are sometimes elevated in people with multiple myeloma (cancer of plasma cells). Other tests, such as a bone marrow biopsy, are used to confirm a suspected diagnosis (like the blood cancer).
3. Tumor marker tests: Tumor markers are chemicals made by tumor cells that can be detected in the blood. But tumor makers are also produced by some normal cells in your body and levels could also be significantly elevated in noncancerous conditions. This limits the potential for such kind of tests to help in diagnosing cancer.
Interpreting the results
Test results are interpreted very carefully because several factors can influence test outcomes, such as variations in your body or even your diet. In addition, noncancerous conditions can sometimes cause abnormal test results. And, in other cases, cancer may be present even though the blood test results don't show the same. Doctors usually use test results to determine whether your levels fall within a normal range or they may compare your results with those from past tests.
Though blood tests can help give your doctor clues, other tests are usually necessary to make a confirmed diagnosis. For most forms of cancer, a biopsy - a procedure to obtain a sample of suspicious cells for testing - is usually necessary to make a definitive diagnosis. In some cases, tumor marker levels are monitored over time. The doctor may schedule follow-up testing in a few months. He may use these tests to determine whether if you have cancer or that your cancer is responding to treatment or whether your cancer is growing.
The basic problem with this sort of a disease is that oftentimes it is found in stages too advanced for the best treatment opportunities. Half of all patients diagnosed with lung cancer die within a year of diagnosis. Getting tested at an earlier stage is the only possible way to control the devastation that, this disease can cause. So the test results must always be discussed with your doctor and after his opinion, with your family. Ask the doctor what your results say about your health and in cases of positive diagnosis, what should be the future course of action.
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