Blood Test for Cancer

Life expectancy for any cancer is strongly dependent on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Staging helps to know how big is the tumor and whether the cancer is localized or has spread to nearby lymph nodes and organs. During earlier stages, when the nearby lymph nodes are not affected by cancer cells and the cancer is confined to one part of the body, it is possible to remove the cancer from the body and design the treatment accordingly, so that cancerous cells are completely killed. When the patient knows that the cancer has not spread anywhere else in the body, dealing with cancer is comparatively easier. The patient can fight cancer with strong will power, determination and positive attitude throughout. Suddenly getting diagnosed with stage 3 or stage 4 cancer is shocking and in such cases, the patient loses courage and mental strength, which are actually essential for fighting a disease like cancer. Therefore, a blood test for cancer detection is really a boon to mankind. Here is an overview of various blood tests for cancer detection.

Blood Test for Ovarian Cancer
According to the statistics published by the American cancer society, ovarian cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Earlier, women had to go through several surgeries just to find out whether cancer is present or not. Now, the doubt could be cleared in a drop of blood. The blood test called ova1 is approved by FDA. The readings regarding five particular proteins in a woman's blood can help find out whether the ovarian mass is malignant or not. The blood test can also guide the patient about the urgency for a surgery. Whether the patient needs to see a surgeon can be decided after the blood test for ovarian cancer. Comparison of study results show that conventional tests, like cat-scans, found 72% of ovarian cancers while the new blood test 'ova1' spotted 92%.

Blood Test for Lung Cancer
Getting diagnosed for lung cancer, after the onset of symptoms, can often be too late for treatment. A new blood test for lung cancer has been released in the U.S. recently. Though more and proper clinical trials are necessary to confirm that the test is reliable, safe and affordable for patients, the designers of the early Cancer Detection lung test (early CDT) hope, it will help more people survive lung cancer. The researchers say that the test can detect defenses released by the human body, while reacting to the changes caused by cancerous cells during earlier stages. This test has a 40% success rate in identifying lung cancer. The test was developed after 15 years of research.

Blood Test for Colon Cancer
People generally avoid a routine but painful colonoscopy procedure. The consequences can be disastrous. According to the statistical data published by the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the third most common cancer found in the U.S. and about 50,000 Americans die every year due to colon cancer. The recently released blood test can detect cells of colon polyps, the precursors to colon cancer, in the blood, with a very high degree of sensitivity and accuracy. This painless, non-invasive and inexpensive test can be simply called 'an early warning test'. Through this test, those who are prone to colon cancer can be distinguished and they can be then convinced to undergo colonoscopy. With the help of this blood test for colon cancer, physicians can catch polyp growth in the colon in almost 80% of patients. This blood test for cancer, known as "CD24" can thus save innumerable lives. The test checks for CD24, the oncogene for colorectal cancer. The biomarkers emitted by polyps in the colon can be identified in the blood even at very low levels. Study reports show that the test can accurately detect adenomas, the polyps that convert to colon cancer.

Blood Test for Prostate Cancer
Doctors often use the FDA approved PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and DRE (digital rectal exam) test as prostate cancer screening tests. Both these tests together can help doctors detect and confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer, even in those patients who have no symptoms of the disease. PSA , a type of protein produced by the prostate glands, is known as a biological marker or a tumor marker. Low level of PSA in the blood is considered normal for men, but increased PSA levels indicate prostate cancer or benign conditions which are quite common in men over 60. The PSA test measures the PSA level in the blood but it alone cannot provide enough information to distinguish between benign prostate conditions and cancer. After checking PSA levels, the doctor can decide whether to check further for signs of prostate cancer. PSA test also helps to monitor patients who have a history of prostate cancer. It can help to see if the cancer has recurred.

So many other tests have also been developed to detect cancer in early stages. Thanks to the researchers and advanced technology, that a simple blood test for cancer can save millions of lives. And also thanks to the latest means of communications like Internet, because of which people all over the world can stay connected, can research easily and can know about the latest discoveries.