Having blood work performed as part of an annual wellness checkup is one of the most effective steps you can take to protect your health and maximize your well-being. Using the results of a routine blood test, such as a complete blood count (CBC), your physician can create a baseline for your overall health. By comparing the results of subsequent blood tests to the baseline, your physician can then identify changes that may warrant further investigation. That way, you might learn about a health issue early on, allowing you time to address it before you develop noticeable symptoms.
Among other things, routine blood testing can detect nutritional deficiencies, high cholesterol, anemia, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, infection and problems with thyroid, liver or kidney function. As such, blood work can provide a host of valuable health-related information. This may lead you to wonder if you could have cancer if your blood tests are normal.
Blood testing and cancer
In addition to serving as a general health "barometer," blood work plays an important role in diagnosing certain types of cancer. For instance, leukemia, a cancer that affects the body’s blood-forming tissues, can sometimes be detected in a routine blood test. Specifically, the CBC test measures the levels of the various types of blood cells circulating in the bloodstream, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Although an abnormal result could point to leukemia, it is important to note that it could also indicate a benign inflammatory condition. Therefore, a physician will typically order follow-up testing to confirm or rule out a leukemia diagnosis.
Aside from leukemia, most cancers cannot be detected in routine blood work, such as a CBC test. However, specific blood tests are designed to identify tumor markers, which are chemicals and proteins that may be found in the blood in higher quantities than normal when cancer is present. One common example is the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which measures the level of PSA in the blood. An elevated level of PSA—a protein produced by the prostate gland—may be a sign of prostate cancer.
Although blood work cannot currently be used on its own to conclusively diagnose cancer, it is often used in conjunction with other diagnostic tests, such as:
- A physical examination
- Imaging tests, such as X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, bone scans and PET scans
- A urinalysis
- A Pap smear (for cervical cancer)
- A mammogram (for breast cancer)
- An endoscopic procedure, such as a bronchoscopy (for lung cancer) or colonoscopy (for colorectal cancer)
- A high-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (for colorectal cancer)
- A myelogram (for a spinal cord tumor)
- A biopsy, such as a needle, skin or surgical biopsy
Cancer screening and risk assessment
A recognized leader in the development of groundbreaking scientific technology that is widely used to detect or treat many types of cancer, Moffitt Cancer Center is proud to offer the latest cancer screening tests as well as genetic testing for cancer risk. If you would like to learn more, you can request an appointment with a specialist by calling 1-888-663-3488or completing anew patient registration form online. As our patient, you can feel confident that you are a priority of Florida’s top cancer hospital, which is changing the model and delivering nationally ranked care in new and transformative ways. Our goal is to connect each new patient with a caring cancer expert as soon as possible.
FAQs
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
| Marker | Associated cancers | Test |
|---|
| CA15-3/CA27.29 | Breast cancer | Blood |
| CA19-9 | Pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, bile duct cancer, and gastric cancer | Blood |
| Calcitonin | Thyroid cancer | Blood |
| Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) | Colorectal cancer | Blood |
9 more rowsAside from leukemia, most cancers cannot be detected in routine blood work, such as a CBC test. However, specific blood tests are designed to identify tumor markers, which are chemicals and proteins that may be found in the blood in higher quantities than normal when cancer is present.
What test can detect early cancer? ›
Multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests are tests that measure biological signals in body fluids that may be shed by cancer cells. These signals are also known as biomarkers or tumor markers. Depending on which signals the MCD test measures, it may detect several different types of cancer.
What is the hardest cancer to detect? ›
Pancreatic cancer is hard to find early. The pancreas is deep inside the body, so early tumors can't be seen or felt by health care providers during routine physical exams. People usually have no symptoms until the cancer has become very large or has already spread to other organs.
What cancers don't show up in blood work? ›
Complete blood count (CBC).
A CBC can detect some blood or immune system cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. But it can't detect solid organ cancers like lung, breast or colon cancers. It can tell your provider how your body responds to treatment and whether the cancer has spread to your bone marrow.
Would a full blood count show anything serious? ›
A full blood count (FBC) test looks for abnormalities in your blood, such as unusually high or low numbers of blood cells. This common blood test can help to diagnose a wide range of illnesses, infections and diseases. Your doctor may arrange further tests to help determine the cause of the abnormality.
What are 20 warning signs of cancer? ›
Warning signs to get checked out
- An unusual lump or swelling.
- Abnormal bleeding or bruising.
- Sudden changes in vision, hearing, speech, mood, memory or balance.
- Persistent daily headaches.
- Unexplained fatigue.
- Ongoing pain, tingling or numbness.
- Frequent infections and fever.
- Sudden, unexplained weight loss.
Leukocytosis refers to a high white blood cell count, which can occur for a number of reasons. Rarely, a high white blood cell count can be a symptom of certain blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
What lab results indicate cancer? ›
High and low results in the white blood cell differential.
Higher-than-normal numbers of lymphocytes or monocytes can indicate the possibility of certain types of cancer. Some cancers and their treatment may cause low numbers of neutrophils, a condition called neutropenia.
How is cancer usually detected? ›
Imaging tests used in diagnosing cancer may include a computerized tomography (CT) scan, bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, ultrasound and X-ray, among others. Biopsy. During a biopsy, your doctor collects a sample of cells for testing in the laboratory.
OneTest™️ Standard includes 5 or 6 cancer biomarkers: AFP, CEA, CA 19-9, CYFRA 21-1,CA 15-3, CA125, PSA (varies by gender) which are associated with some of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer. OneTest™️ Standard reports each individual cancer marker value and an overall cancer risk score.
What is the most accurate test for cancer? ›
Biopsy. In most cases, doctors need to do a biopsy to be certain that you have cancer. A biopsy is a procedure in which the doctor removes a sample of abnormal tissue. A pathologist looks at the tissue under a microscope and runs other tests on the cells in the sample.
Which cancers are 100% curable? ›
5 Curable Cancers
- Prostate Cancer.
- Thyroid Cancer.
- Testicular Cancer.
- Melanoma.
- Breast Cancer -- Early Stage.
Is stage 4 cancer always terminal? Stage 4 cancer is not always terminal. It is usually advanced and requires more aggressive treatment. Terminal cancer refers to cancer that is not curable and eventually results in death.
What are the top 3 deadliest cancers? ›
Lung and bronchus, colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers are responsible for nearly 50% of all deaths.
What are three tumor markers? ›
Some of the more useful tumor markers include:
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
- Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP)
- CA 125.
- Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
- Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)
- CA 19-9.
Your doctor will conduct a complete blood count (CBC) to determine if you have leukemia. This test may reveal if you have leukemic cells. Abnormal levels of white blood cells and abnormally low red blood cell or platelet counts can also indicate leukemia.
What would show up in a routine blood test? ›
Blood tests can be used for many different things, including to check cholesterol and blood glucose levels. These help monitor your risk of heart and circulatory diseases and diabetes, or how your condition is being managed. Tests for different chemicals and proteins can indicate how your liver or kidneys are working.
What are tumor markers in blood tests? ›
A tumor marker is anything present in or produced by cancer cells or other cells of the body in response to cancer or certain benign (noncancerous) conditions that provides information about a cancer, such as how aggressive it is, whether it can be treated with a targeted therapy, or whether it is responding to ...
Aside from leukemia, most cancers cannot be detected in routine blood work, such as a CBC test. However, specific blood tests are designed to identify tumor markers, which are chemicals and proteins that may be found in the blood in higher quantities than normal when cancer is present. One common example is the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which measures the level of PSA in the blood. An elevated level of PSA—a protein produced by the prostate gland—may be a sign of prostate cancer.