Cancer Diagnostics: Lab Tests, Screening, and Early Detection
Early and accurate cancer diagnosis is crucial for choosing the right treatment. Our cancer diagnostics services offer a variety of tests and procedures designed to detect cancer and guide effective treatment options. Here's a closer look at each diagnostic service:
Physical Exams and Medical History
Immunotherapy uses special drugs that:
- Physical Exam: The doctor may examine your body for physical signs of cancer, such as lumps, changes in skin, swelling, or abnormal growths. This step often helps identify areas to test further.
- Medical History: The doctor asks about your symptoms, family history of cancer, lifestyle factors, and previous health conditions. This helps assess the risk of cancer and decide on appropriate tests.
Lab Tests
Lab tests are often the first step in diagnosing cancer, as they can provide valuable information about the body's general health and any abnormal substances that could indicate cancer.
Blood Tests:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC): Measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Abnormal results may indicate cancers like leukemia.
- Liver Function Test (LFT): Measures levels of liver enzymes and other substances to evaluate how well the liver is functioning. Certain liver issues, like those caused by liver cancer or metastasis, can be detected through abnormal LFT results.
- Kidney Function Test (KFT): Evaluates kidney health by measuring the levels of waste products, like creatinine and urea, in the blood. Kidney dysfunction due to cancer or its treatments can be detected through KFT.
Tumor Markers: Specific proteins or other substances in the blood that can suggest cancer. For example:
- PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen): Elevated PSA levels may indicate prostate cancer.
- CA-125: High levels may suggest ovarian cancer.
- CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen): Often elevated in colorectal, lung, and other cancers.
Urine Tests: These tests analyze urine for substances that can indicate cancer, such as the presence of abnormal proteins or cells. For instance, a urine cytology test may detect bladder cancer.
Genetic Tests: Can identify inherited mutations that may increase the risk of certain cancers, such as breast or ovarian cancer due to BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations.
Imaging Tests
Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body, helping doctors locate and assess tumors. Different imaging tests offer various levels of detail.
- X-Rays: Traditional imaging that helps detect tumors, bone cancers, and lung cancer by producing images of the inside of the body.
- CT Scan (Computed Tomography): A more detailed form of X-ray that provides 3D images of the body. It helps to pinpoint the location, size, and shape of tumors in organs like the liver, lungs, or pancreas.
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): Uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create high-resolution images, especially useful for detecting brain tumors, spinal cancers, and soft tissue cancers like sarcomas.
- Ultrasound: Uses sound waves to create images of internal organs. It’s often used to look for tumors in the liver, kidneys, or other soft tissues and can guide biopsies.
- PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography): Detects cancer cells by tracking the energy they use. It’s particularly helpful for identifying cancer spread or staging, such as for lymphoma, breast cancer, or lung cancer.
Biopsy Procedures
A biopsy involves removing a sample of tissue from a suspected cancerous area for testing. This is the most reliable way to confirm cancer.
- Fine-Needle Aspiration (FNAC): A thin needle is inserted into the tumor to remove a small sample of cells. FNAC is less invasive and is commonly used for tumors in the breast, thyroid, or lymph nodes.
- Core Needle Biopsy: A larger needle is used to take a tissue sample from a tumor. This method provides a bigger sample than FNA and is typically used for breast, prostate, or liver tumors.
- Endoscopic Biopsy: An endoscope (a thin tube with a camera) is inserted through a body opening (like the mouth or rectum) to take a tissue sample from organs such as the lungs, colon, or bladder.
- Surgical Biopsy: In some cases, surgery may be required to remove part or all of a tumor for a more extensive examination. This is usually done when other biopsy methods are not feasible.
Genetic Testing and Molecular Diagnostics
These tests look for changes in genes, proteins, or other molecules to help understand how cancer behaves.
- Genetic Tests: Can identify inherited mutations that increase the risk of certain cancers. For example:
- BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene tests for breast and ovarian cancer.
- Lynch Syndrome tests for colorectal and endometrial cancers.
- Molecular Diagnostics: These tests study changes in the DNA or proteins of cancer cells to help identify the exact type of cancer and guide treatment. For example, the EGFR test helps identify specific mutations in lung cancer that may make the tumor responsive to targeted treatments like EGFR inhibitors.
Pathology Reports
Here are a few ways to prepare for your treatment:
- After a biopsy or lab test, the sample is examined by a pathologist under a microscope. The pathology report details the type of cancer (if present), the cancer's grade (how abnormal the cells look), and its stage (how far it has spread). This report plays a crucial role in planning the next steps of treatment.
Follow-Up Testing
- After treatment begins, follow-up tests monitor progress, detect any recurrence, or evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing treatment. This can include imaging tests, lab tests, or additional biopsies. For instance, blood tests may be repeated to monitor tumor markers, or imaging like CT scans may check for any new growths.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common cancer tests are blood tests (like CBC and tumor markers) and imaging tests (like X-rays and CT scans). These tests help doctors detect abnormalities that may suggest cancer.
CT scans are more effective for detecting bone and organ cancers, providing a detailed 3D image, while MRIs are better for soft tissues like the brain and spinal cord. MRIs use magnetic fields, whereas CT scans use X-rays.
Genetic tests are not always necessary for cancer diagnosis but are recommended if there's a family history of cancer or if the doctor suspects a genetic predisposition to certain cancers, such as breast cancer with BRCA mutations.
A biopsy is the removal of a small sample of tissue from a suspicious area to examine it under a microscope. It is the most accurate way to confirm the presence of cancer.
Biopsy results can take anywhere from a few days to two weeks, depending on the complexity of the test and the type of cancer suspected.
Follow-up tests are scheduled based on the type of cancer and treatment you received. Typically, follow-ups are more frequent during the first few years after treatment and may become less frequent after that if no issues are detected.
Some cancers cause symptoms like pain, swelling, or changes in skin appearance, but others may not show symptoms until they are in advanced stages. Regular screenings and tests are important for early detection.
A CT scan provides detailed structural images using X-rays to detect abnormalities like tumors or infections in organs and bones.
A PET-CT scan combines both a CT scan and a PET scan. The PET scan detects metabolic activity, showing how tissues are functioning, while the CT scan provides detailed images of the body's structures. This combination helps detect cancer more accurately by showing both the size and location of tumors and their metabolic activity, helping assess whether the cancer is spreading or responding to treatment. PET-CT is especially useful in oncology for identifying active cancer cells and understanding cancer progression.