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. 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.
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:
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.Half of all patients diagnosed with lung cancer die within a year of diagnosis.
Source by ezinearticles.com
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:
- Complete blood count (CBC): This common test measures the amount of various types of blood cells in your blood sample.
- 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).
- Tumor marker tests: Tumor markers are chemicals made by tumor cells that can be detected in the blood. This limits the potential for such kind of tests to help in diagnosing cancer.
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.Half of all patients diagnosed with lung cancer die within a year of diagnosis.
Source by ezinearticles.com
2 comments:
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