Blood Drug Testing

would any cancer show up in my blood tests before i felt ill??

im a 20 year old female and worry pretty badly about getting cancer even though its out of my power. I had some blood tests in feb 08 due to illness and they all came back negative but about a week later my right gland in my neck started to swell. I can move it about and it swells up and down. Would anything serious show in the blood tests even though the swelling came up after i had the blood tests? i asked my doctor about the swollen gland and she sed she cudnt feel anything but im sure i can! would it be pretty obviously swollen if it was anything like lyphoma?????? My gland just aches when i eat generally but im worried because it is still going up and down now 2 months later??? Please help!!!!

Public Comments

1. Sometimes cancer markers do show up in blood tests but if I were you I would get back to the docs and get them to send you for more tests if your worried Cancer survivor
2. At your age cancer is unlikely.
3. Just see the doctor again honey and tell her exactly what you are worried about. Get her to test for any cancers that you think might be there. Even if it IS, which I seriously doubt, then if u catch it early, they can cure it. Good luck x
4. It could be anything. Don't worry. As for Cancer - I see so much of it around because of the job I do that I've become desensitised to it. Although I'm only 25 I am willing to accept how likely it is that I'll get some form of cancer in the next 30 years or so. And it doesn't bother me. Yeah, sure it's not goning to be a great time but there's much worse things out there to be diagnosed with. At age 20 there's an unbelieveably low chance you'd have cancer anyway, because these things are usually a result of half a lifetime's worth of either degenerative changes in the body or through self harm i.e. smoking or radiation exposure through their occupation. Don't worry about it - I think that you're so scared of getting some form of illness that you're noticing every little thing that goes wrong with your body. :-)
5. 'Thumbs Down Collector' gives you good advice. My answer is based upon experience and treatment but not on scientific knowledge. Others note that cancer can be detected in blood tests. Your negative results would indicate that you are in the clear in this respect. It is extremely unlikely that your swollen neck gland could be a 'lymphatic' cancer after only a week of negative tests. The fact that it 'goes up and down' is an indication that something else is the cause. I am not a doctor but I have had the exact same pattern and symtoms as you have had. For years I had a swollen neck gland and it became bigger and gave me referred pain - probably from pressing on nerves - to the side of my head and to my shoulder. I, too, could 'move it about' and my neck movement was restricted and sore. Like you, I had the experience of my doctor saying that he could feel nothing. Of course, we know our own bodies and we are more sensitive to any changes than others may be - including doctors. Don't worry about being labelled a hypochondriac. If you have symptoms and you have pain and discomfort, 'bother' your doctor, if you wish. (As long as she is not named 'House'!) As you know, doctors often feel around the neck and throat for swollen glands when the patient has an illness or infection. Swollen glands usually subside after the body's reaction to the illness. If they do not subside, the cause has to be investigated. You have already done this to some extent. After a while of 'being a coward', I insisted that my swollen gland should be biopsied. This was quick and painless. The hospital doctor wrote a report to me, saying that the gland showed no signs of disease but he thought that it was connected to a long-standing skin condition which is constantly fought by the body's lymphatic system. That's what it is for, although in some patients it can cause problems when cancer is clearly present. I would have thought that you would have been very ill by now, and called to hospital, if you had any serious problem. If you do not have any such condition or other obvious condtions, you should worry less, but still be prepared to see the doctor. Often, any variation in the body's systems, can lead to lymph gland swelling, especially, also, in the groin and under the armpits. Doctors usually look for this. (Please don't start thinking that your armpits are painful!) My answer is, obviously, to encourage you, from experience of similar symptoms. Similar symptoms need not be from similar causes, of course. There is no guarantee in life - but in my case, after a long time, I have had few problems in this respect. Just to 'cheer you up', that was 25 years ago! Best wishes
6. Take some pain relief and go back to see your doctor
7. Try to relax, you've almost certainly got a minor infection that's making your lymph nodes swell. Please do try to stop worrying about cancer, it's very very rare at your age, and worrying is clearly making you unhappy. Why not try out a relaxation technique like yoga or meditation to help you stop worrying?
8. some do show in your blood do you have a family history of cancer? talk to you doctor tell how you feel
9. Firstly, dont get yourself worked up, it maybe jsut a glandular infection, but it needs to be checked again givne that you had this for some time. MAybe many reasons but not necessarily cancer. It depend on the type fo cancer, on how quickly it shows itself in your blood. Some adopt stealth like behaviour or even look regressive. Whislt others are wearing bright neon shirts to reveal themselves. Not everything points to cancer, but it is better to be persistant with your Doctor, if he is not being pro-active in his treatment for you. I have just been diagnosed of having Mantel Cell Lymphoma, which is a cancer in the lymph nodes. This one is a mster of disguise and does not reveal itself until a later stage. Although it affects the Lymph nodes, I had no visisbile complaints, other than fatique, numerous little flue like illnesses but alos sever weight loss and gain Different cancer types behave differently and show themselves differently. Some cloak themselves or appear as minor and benign or sometimes not at all. Sometimes, the patient will feel unwell and other symtoms painless and pain full ,relating to the type of cancer. I was feeling unwell for some time, meaning flue like symptoms , rapid sever weight loss, tiredness. I had several blood tests which did not show anything for my Doctor to get alarmed about. Approximately four weeks ago, I went for another blood test and the result showed some abnormalities, which my GP explained as usually associated with a minor infection. However, she did send me to an expert haematologist, which sadly confirmed that I had this cancer, which is terminal. According to statistics I have about 3 to 5 years to live and I will make the most of it. Appreciate all the things I took for granted previously, inclduing the grain of sand beneath my feet. I will love my enemies as much as I will love my friends. I will make peace with all before I die. The only regret is taht I did not appreciate everything and let myself be swept in the tide of trivia like everyone else. If you are worried go back to your Doctor, the swelling should have gone down by now, ask him to refer you to a specialist. It maybe nothing more, than a nasty infection of the glands, but this still needs to be treated as it has an effect on your hormone levels. Go to your Doctor as soon as you can.
10. sometimes
11. The short answer is yes but it would be very unusual at your age.
12. hey i'm 18 years old and i've had similar problems, I was just wondering if you had gone back to your doctor yet to see what he has said. I found a swollen gland on my left side above my collar bone maybe 3 months ago I think it was, and my doctor does not seem too worried about it. I've had blood tests and they have all come back normal, but I can't help but worry. I have also had a chest CT scan which showed up fine. However, I really think that it should be gone by now. I can't help but think there is something wrong with me. I was just wondering if you have any other symptoms that might be similar to mine?? i'd love to hear from you to ease my stress! the comment from chaz just really stressed me out because if it does not show up in blood tests until later I don't know if I should push to have it biopsied or not?