Cancer Blood Tests

Scripture of the Day:

Exodus 33:22

            “And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by"

In reading this article, I just discovered what the blood tests I got every time I went to my oncologist are looking for. I went looking because I have to go and have another blood test run tommorow. They found something they didn't like in my tumor markers. I didn't know what that was. So I looked it up. 

In this article, it talks about several things that are looked at in the blood test.  "Tumor markers are chemicals made by turmor cells that can be detected in your blood".

I did speak to my breast surgeon when I went in for that check-up. He said that it had nothing to do with my breasts as I thought. My oncologist is just keeping an eye on whether other tumors appear in my body. He asked me if I still have my ovaries. I do. 

I have to admit that I am sort of nervous. But am I terrified like I was with the breast cancer diagnosis? No. She did say that mine was not the only blood test with issues. So, maybe the lab tech made a mistake or the equipment went on the fritz. 

But if this turns out that there is truly a health issue that will effect me, I've made up my mind that if I can get through it once. I can surely do it again.

The link for this article and others is at the bottom of the page.

Cancer Blood Tests: Lab Tests Used In Cancer Diagnosis

Published September 18, 2015

Cancer blood tests: Lab tests used in cancer diagnosis

Cancer blood tests and other laboratory tests may help your doctor make a cancer diagnosis. Reduce your anxiety by learning about cancer blood tests and how they're used.

If it's suspected that you have cancer, your doctor may order certain cancer blood tests or other laboratory tests, such as an analysis of your urine or a biopsy of a suspicious area, to help guide the diagnosis.

With the exception of blood cancers, blood tests generally can't absolutely tell whether you have cancer or some other noncancerous condition, but they can give your doctor clues about what's going on inside your body.

Because your doctor has ordered cancer blood tests to look for signs of cancer, it doesn't mean that a cancer diagnosis has been made and you have cancer. Find out what your doctor might be looking for when cancer blood tests are done.

What your doctor is looking for

Samples collected for cancer blood tests are analyzed in a lab for signs of cancer. The samples may show cancer cells, proteins or other substances made by the cancer. Blood tests can also give your doctor an idea of how well your organs are functioning and if they've been affected by cancer.

Examples of blood tests used to diagnose cancer include:

• Complete blood count (CBC). This common blood test measures the amount of various types of blood cells in a sample of your blood. Blood cancers may be detected using this test if too many or too few of a type of blood cell or abnormal cells are found. A bone marrow biopsy may help confirm a diagnosis of a blood cancer.
• Blood protein testing. A test to examine various proteins in your blood (electrophoresis) can aid in detecting certain abnormal immune system proteins (immunoglobulins) that are sometimes elevated in people with multiple myeloma. Other tests, such as a bone marrow biopsy, are used to confirm a suspected diagnosis.
• Tumor marker tests. Tumor markers are chemicals made by tumor cells that can be detected in your blood. But tumor markers are also produced by some normal cells in your body, and levels may be significantly elevated in noncancerous conditions. This limits the potential for tumor marker tests to help in diagnosing cancer.
  The best way to use tumor markers in diagnosing cancer hasn't been determined. And the use of some tumor marker tests is controversial.
  Examples of tumor markers include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer, cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) for ovarian cancer, calcitonin for medullary thyroid cancer, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for liver cancer and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for germ cell tumors, such as testicular cancer and ovarian cancer.
• Circulating tumor cell tests. Experimental blood tests are being developed to find cells that have broken away from an original cancer site and are floating in the bloodstream. More research is needed to understand how these tests can help doctors diagnose advanced cancers.

What the results mean

Test results must be interpreted carefully because several factors can influence test outcomes, such as variations in your body or even what you eat. In addition, keep in mind that noncancerous conditions can sometimes cause abnormal test results. And, in other cases, cancer may be present even though the blood test results are normal.

Your doctor reviews your test results to determine whether your levels fall within a normal range. Or your doctor may compare your results with those from past tests.

What happens next

Though blood and urine tests can help give your doctor clues, other tests are usually necessary to make the 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. Your doctor may schedule follow-up testing in a few months. Tumor markers are most often helpful after your cancer diagnosis. Your doctor may use these tests to determine whether your cancer is responding to treatment or whether your cancer is growing.

Discuss test results with your doctor. Ask your doctor what your results say about your health and what the next steps should be.

- See more at: http://www.lifescript.com/health/a-z/mayo/c/cancer_blood_tests_lab_tests_used_in_cancer_diagnosis.aspx#sthash.xfBObpWT.dpuf

Cancer Blood Tests

If you are making this journey as I am, may God bless you with His healing touch. I know He loves you.