Blood test Cancer

[georgegeorgia]

The reason im asking this in the pattaya  forum because i want to know if there is any blood testing clinics someone can reccomend.

 

Now im getting in my late middle age im a bit worried about Cancer as  both  my parents got it and one of them got it without symptoms until the last minute and of course by then it had spread and nothing they could do.

 

then i heard a old workmate has now cancer that has spread after he went to the Doctor for a back pain.,he had no symptoms previously apparently now he has weeks to live.

 

The next question is,is there a specific blood test for cancer that i should get?

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2018 by georgegeorgia

[Sheryl]

Moved to the Health Forum.

 

There is no such thing as a single blood test for cancer.

 

Cancer is not one disease, it is many. Some of them have blood tests which can be helpful (though except for leukemia - cancer of the blood - not at all definitive), most do not.

 

There are also tests other than blood tests which can screen for certain types of cancer. While some other types of cancer have no screening test.

 

Specifically what type of cancer did your parents have?

[georgegeorgia]

Well my mothers cancer was metsasis cancer according to the death certificate ,my Dad had Stomach cancer 

[Sheryl]

Virtually all deaths from cancer are from metastatic cancer, that means only that the cancer spread. there will have been an original site of the cancer from which it spread. I take it you do not know  what that was?

 

For stomach cancer there is no screening test for use in asymptomatic people. Should you have any gastric symptoms, like reflux (GERD), heartburn etc then you should have a gastroscopy to visualize the stomach and test for the bacteria  h. pylori. Most people with those symptoms can be treated empirically first without endoscopy but with a family history of stomach cancer, gastroscopy would be advisable. but only if you are symptomatic. The test is invasive and carries so small risks so nto done on asymptomatic people.

 

Some cancer screenings everyone should get:

 

After age 45: colonoscopy every 10 years (to screen for colon cancer)

 

Women: pap smears/thin preps. Women over 50: mammmogram

 

Men over age 50: digital prostate exam and Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA, a blood test) - note that this is somewhat controversial.

 

The coworker you mention with back pain likely had prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone.