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Will Bloodwork Detect Cancer?
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:36 pm
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:36 pm
Like on a wellness checkup, will cancer show up in bloodwork done?
17
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:37 pm to Assassin
I would guess no, but I wonder the same thing.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:39 pm to Assassin
A high or low WBC can indicate it might be present
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:43 pm to Assassin
Blood cancers would probably show up. Leukemia, for example. Hodgkin's lymphoma as well. Not sure about other cancers.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:44 pm to Signal Soldier
quote:
A high or low WBC can indicate it might be present
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:46 pm to Assassin
They get a pretty good idea of it from your blood
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:46 pm to Assassin
quote:There are markers for various cancers that can be detected in blood, but these tests would not be ordered for a simple check-up clinic visit.
Like on a wellness checkup, will cancer show up in bloodwork done?
Posted on 2/16/15 at 5:51 pm to Patrick_Bateman
So all that would need to be done is specifically request?
Thanks to all who responded.
Thanks to all who responded.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 6:01 pm to Assassin
Not all of them for sure. Had a family member die of cancer, was getting blood work checked like clock work, and it never showed up in routine checks.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 6:06 pm to Assassin
Nothing will explicitly be detected.
lymphoma or leukemia may or may not be suspected based on elevations or depressions in your white cells, red cells, or platelets.
colon cancer may be suspected if you have a low red blood cell count. typically any male > 50 yrs old with iron deficiency anemia is thought to have colon cancer until proven otherwise - in other words the tumor is slowly bleeding into your colon and you're pooping it out, resulting in anemia.
Getting a PSA for prostate cancer screening is a pretty hotly debated topic, they teach the younger docs to not order this anymore while the older docs will still routinely order it. Still, an elevated PSA =/= you have prostate cancer.
That's about it as far as routine blood work goes. There is no "yes/no" as far as whether you have cancer that blood work will show. It just provides data that when supported by other signs/symptoms may lead a doctor to suspect that there is something more serious at play.
lymphoma or leukemia may or may not be suspected based on elevations or depressions in your white cells, red cells, or platelets.
colon cancer may be suspected if you have a low red blood cell count. typically any male > 50 yrs old with iron deficiency anemia is thought to have colon cancer until proven otherwise - in other words the tumor is slowly bleeding into your colon and you're pooping it out, resulting in anemia.
Getting a PSA for prostate cancer screening is a pretty hotly debated topic, they teach the younger docs to not order this anymore while the older docs will still routinely order it. Still, an elevated PSA =/= you have prostate cancer.
That's about it as far as routine blood work goes. There is no "yes/no" as far as whether you have cancer that blood work will show. It just provides data that when supported by other signs/symptoms may lead a doctor to suspect that there is something more serious at play.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 6:08 pm to Assassin
Some will. Some won't. More than bloodwork is required for routine cancer monitoring. If you are concerned about a specific type of cancer (many of which have very little to do with each other in terms of symptoms, blood levels, etc), share your concerns with your physician.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 6:09 pm to Assassin
Some cancers yes
Some cancers no
Some cancers no
Posted on 2/16/15 at 6:14 pm to Walt OReilly
quote:
Some cancers yes
Some cancers no
Good summation, Walt. Basically this.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 6:14 pm to Assassin
quote:
So all that would need to be done is specifically request?
Thanks to all who responded.
Kinda. Any internist would order a PSA if the patient specifically requests that, but no doc is just going to willy-nilly order say a CA-19 for pancreatic cancer just because the patient requests it for no reason. These tests have false positive and false negative rates, and are typically order to monitor response to treatment, not for diagnosis.
If you're worried about something specifically, I would express your concerns to your physician so that they order the appropriate tests to make a diagnosis, or otherwise can reassure you that you have nothing to worry about. Typically scopes & imaging are used for diagnosis if something is truly suspected, not blood work.
It's inappropriate to order a bunch of cancer blood markers during a wellness check, and your insurance company wouldn't pay for that anyway.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 6:15 pm to genuineLSUtiger
Thank you
Posted on 2/16/15 at 6:24 pm to tigerfan4120
quote:
Typically scopes & imaging are used for diagnosis if something is truly suspected, not blood work.
Decent summation, but scopes (colonoscopies) and imaging (mammograms) aren't only used when something is truly suspected. These two, in particular, are benign enough that every man and every woman should undergo them.
OP, Google "USPSTF" which stands for "US Preventative services Task Force" for an understanding of what "normal" screening is. It's really geared towards doctors, but you should be able to find what a person of your age, sex, and ethnicity should routinely have done. For any given age, sometimes questions are good enough. Sometimes blood work is enough. Sometimes it's a small procedure (like a colonoscopy). Sometimes it's a physical exam (prostate). Other times, based on your answers to certain questions, concerns you have, or family history, screening gets tailored to you as an individual with more tests, be they blood, imaging, or small surgical procedures. In any case, your PCP is the man/woman to see and talk to.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 7:00 pm to tigerfan4120
quote:So a patient can, or can't request it? I am not following cause you said both, I think.
Any internist would order a PSA if the patient specifically requests that, but no doc is just going to willy-nilly order say a CA-19 for pancreatic cancer just because the patient requests it for no reason
And I don't mind paying if ins does not cover.
This post was edited on 2/16/15 at 7:02 pm
Posted on 2/16/15 at 7:09 pm to Assassin
quote:
I am not following cause you said both, I think.
no, he said that you could typically ask for and receive the blood test for prostate cancer (PSA), but would not likely get the test for pancreatic cancer (CA-10) even if requested...
basically, only some cancers are detectable by blood test and those that can be detected by blood test require a different test for each kind of cancer...
Posted on 2/16/15 at 7:10 pm to Assassin
Besides blood cancers like lymphomas, etc. colon cancers can show up as anemia due to chronic bleeding into the stool.
Posted on 2/16/15 at 7:22 pm to pleading the fifth
At what age should one start getting colonoscopies? And frequency?
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