Breast Cancer Advice Center

When the onocologist does blood anaylsis does it show that cancer may be present in the blood work?

My mom had breast cancer last year and everything came out fine. Due to the fact that she cancer the dr made her do a pet scan and blood work in Jun 06. Everything also came out fine. Now in Nov 06 she also did blood work and came out fine. Since the week before December my mom started complaining from back pains and she already got the results for that. The cancer has returned. Now, my question is when the oncologist makes you do blood work does it show that there is cancer present or something maybe a larger blood count than usual? I just want to know because it would give me some peace of mind if the cancer started in Dec and not before, meaning we might have catched it on time. She was diagnosed with cancer in bones and liver. I am devasted!

Public Comments

1. Yes, indications of cancer can be seen in the blood. My son had testicular cancer. After surgery, the blood work showed levels of things went back to normal after the tumor was gone.
2. blood test are used to control purposes:if certain hormones or markers rise they might signal the return of the cancer...the ordinary blood test is not depending upon that...bests...
   
   ps the test is NOT showing cancer in blood flow,but cells of it passed thru vessels when metastasis happened
3. Sorry to hear that, and yes cancer can show up in blood work but with the cancer in the bone she needs to be very careful because they are going to be very brittle, I,m no expert but have dealt with this . If you like you may email me EdwardW@yahoo.com
4. though a layman, being a frequent visitor to the docs, i can say that certain parameters do get abnormal in the blood in any infectious disesase,
   
   but there r other test to cofirm the diagnosis
   
   more important is to keep yourself cool all the time
   
   everyone is going 6 ft under one day, n generally breast cancers are treatable in the initial phase
   
   DIVAS
   deevas@hotmail.com
   deevas.hi5.com
5. It depends on what indices he asked for in the blood test. You see most indices we measure are analysed from a blood sample. With a regular CBC (complete blod count)-also called FBC ( Full blood Count)- The physician looks at Hemoglobin level which can be reduced (anemia) in any cancer patient, and the White Cell Count which also can be either reduced or high or normal. Actually things are more complicated, but with Breast Cancer, no single test in the blood can tell if cancer is still there or if it has gone further in the body. I suggest checking the Calcium level with a Liver Function Test as well as a bone scan and an Abdominal CT scan. Thats a typical workup for a patient with Breast Cancer. Provided that the lesion has been diagnosed and tested in the histopathology lab.
6. it is very possible that the cancer she had in her breast has returned and that it has spread which is very sad bone cancer and liver cancer are both very serious just want to say good luck to you and your mother both i will keep both of in my prayers
7. Your oncologist is a professional, so you should trust what he/she does. But anyway, the term blood analysis is quite a vague one and it is more important to know exactly what tests the oncologist ordered the laboratory to perform.
   
   Cancer cells usually produce certain antigens, which are a kind of protein. These antigens produced by cancer cells are called tumour markers and they can be detected in the blood. But the testing for tumour markers is not very sensitive, especially in early stage cancer. Tumour markers are more detectable in metastatic cancer cells (more advance stages).
   
   The two most common tumour markers for breast cancer are CEA and CA 15-3. These tumour markers are usually tested in a biochemisty or clinical chemistry laboratory. Detection of these markers usually prompt the doctor to perform more tests such as chest x-rays, CT scans and so on, to look for recurrent or metastatic tumor in organs such as the lung or liver.
   
   However, not all cancers can be detected by tumour markers. Some cancers such as leukaemia are detected by a differential blood count and/or a manual detection of cancer cells through a microscope in a haematology laboratory.
   
   Hope this helps.