Blood Drug Testing

Would routine blood test show cancer?

Basically i have been unwell for 3 months. Have had blood test,ultrasound,x-ray and urine test and all are clear! I have had pain in my back under shoulder blade and round to under my chest. I will be having a ct scan in 2 weeks. Cancer is common in my family and just wondered if blood tests would show this up if i had it. thanx

Public Comments

1. Not necessarily. The lab doesn't check for cancer unless they are asked to. The only cancer you can really tell from a blood test positively, anyway, is leukemia. The CT scan will show all.
2. yes it would particularly if you have a family history of Cancer it is most likely one of the tests your doctor would ask for the Laboratory only does the tests your doctor asks for but when there is a history of cancer in the family a doctor will often ask for that rest
3. Yes it would................ if you had a full blood count then any abnormalities in your white blood cells would have shown up. These have obviously came back clear so you have nothing to worry about.
4. Try to get tested for bone disorders and the like. Also GERD. I have those symptoms and I have normal blood work but I have a twisted spine and that pushed my rib cage out and caused my GERD. Maybe an endoscopy could find something?
5. Complete blood count may reveal blood cancer. Cancer antigen in the blood may reveal specific type of cancers. CA-125 is a test used to evaluate ovarian cancer treatment. CA15-3 (Cancer Antigen 15-3) is a tumor marker used to monitor certain cancers, especially breast cancer.
6. Only if the tests for cancer were requested by the doctor.
7. Tinkerbell is correct. If you had leukemia, an abnormal high white blood cell count would show without special testing. Just a routine blood test will show that, then if a doctor see and unusual high white count, he/she will test further for cancer. You have to remember that cancer is one word for a multitude of diseases that fall under that category of cancer. Blood testing cannot detect all, not even under the best testing. Some people require other test if the Dr suspects cancer or if you have a family history like I do. In my family, it started with my grandmother, my mom's mother. She got breast cancer and back then, they did not have the treatments they have today. She ultimately died of breast cancer that metastasized to her lungs. Then mom's 4 sisters got it and all but one died of it, now it's our turn. Only now we have DNA testing. Since 2 of my sisters and myself along with 2 nieces got breast cancer, our Dr's advised us to have the DNA testing for the BRACA 1 & 2 genes. These genes basically let them know if we are predisposed to breast cancer as well as ovarian cancer. All of us tested positive. I have 7 sisters, My mom never got breast cancer. it's very unusual for an entire family to test positive, The only one that did not test positive so far, is one of my nieces who's sister had a bi-lateral mastectomy. She showed absolutley nothing on her DNA testing. But when a doctor get to that point where he/she wants you to have DNA testing, that's kind of the last test. They won't ask for that unless they have exhausted all other avenues. So it boils down to yes, some cancers can be seen with routine blood testing and others cannot, mostly cannot. Blessings