Blood Drug Testing

Can a blood test show if someone has cancer?

A friend of mine is worried that he may have lung cancer, will a simple blood test be able to detect it?

Public Comments

1. well, possibly, but firstly he needs a good check up. the gp will assess risk factors, smoking, diet, general health, exposure to asbestos/chemicals etc etc. does he have respiratory symtoms and what r they? has he got a chest infection? TB? there are many non malignant chest diseases !!! a chest x ray is essential bloods give indication re general health If something unusual is noted at this time CT scans etc of the chest are needed. fist port of call....GP good luck
2. I think it depends on what cancer you have but blood tests will generally show if someone has abnormal levels of anything found in the blood which could be a result of any number of things so if something is found in the blood test, don't get too worried immediately. The doctor will recommend further tests if need be to find out what the problems is (if they don't know automatically from the blood test)
3. There's certain markers that they can look for in blood that can indicate that you have a greater chance of cancer, but nothing is definite yet as there are so many different types of cancer and they all act differently. Get your friend to go to the doctors, it might just be bronchitis, and could be cleared up with anti-botics.
4. for certain cancers eg leukaemia yes but for others it's usually diagnosed through a biopsy of tissue samples
5. I dont think simple blood test will reveal it, better you consult a doctor and get the needed test. I read some article for cancer here. see whether it has some information for you http://nobody-like-cancer.blogspot.com/
6. a blood test can show anything same with a pap
7. i have to say no only because my fathers cancer was not detected in his blood ,,, i think it can only be found if they are in fact looking for it .. i hope this helps xx
8. There is no 'simple blood test' for lung cancer. a) He needs to see his GP. b) A chest x-ray is the most likely first test.
9. I work in pathology, as the answer is yes. Blood can tell yo a whole plethora of things affecting your health, and can indicate cancer. A full blood count (FBC) is a haematology test, examining many parameters. Your platelet and white blood cell count can be indications, though they no not confirm cancer. a PSA (prostate specific antigen) is a blood test that indicates prostate cancer. Other cancer test we frequently use are C19.9 and C125 (cancer antigen 125), which are cancer makers CA-125 is clinically approved for following the response to treatment and predicting prognosis after treatment. Hope i could be of help XD Good luck to your friend, I hope all is well/