Blood Drug Testing

Can you have cancer with normal blood tests?

I have lost a lot of weight from feeling full all the time, I'm constantly tired and my lymph nodes in my groin are constantly swollen and very painful, and now the ones in my armpits are too. I am also bruising really easily, but not so much as finding random bruises on my arms and hips mostly from absolutely nothing. But my blood tests come back relatively normal most of the time, only once a while ago they had come back with elevated white blood cells. But are no longer doing so. I was wondering what kind of cancer this could be and is it possible to have cancer with no elevated white blood cells?

Public Comments

1. Cancer frequently does not show up in blood tests, but this does not mean you have cancer. One cancer that fits your symptoms would show in a blood test, another is more likely to be tested for by biopsy. Continue to work with your Dr to get a diagnosis. There are many diseases other than cancer that need to be checked for as well.
2. Most cancers have none of the symptoms you are having. The only one I can really think of with those symptoms is leukemia, but then your blood count would be way off.
3. Yes, you COULD have cancer with normal blood tests, as not all cancers can be detected through routine blood tests. This also depends on what sort of blood test have been done though. This does not necessarily mean that you have cancer. The symptoms you describe can be caused by many other things - not cancer alone. Swollen lymph nodes are most commonly caused by any sort of infection in the body. You need to wait for your doctor to run more tests to help you get to the bottom of this - but don't jump to conclusions about it being cancer and worry yourself over it. All the very best