What cancers or serious ailments can be tested for by a blood or urine test?

[simon43]

After my recent 'scare' concerning prostate cancer, I want to make sure that my regular health check-ups identify any cancers or serious diseases at the earliest outset.

 

I'm on top of my PSA and I had a colon cancer test (negative) while in the UK.  But what about other cancers?  Are there cancer indicators to look for in a blood or urine test that I should request? Diabetes? Neurological diseases etc?  Thanks.

[Gaccha]

Very expansive selection for detecting cancer.

 

Diabetes is simple enough.

 

And... for neuropathy, not so simple.

 

 

[JensenZ]

1 hour ago, Gaccha said:

Very expansive selection for detecting cancer.

 

Diabetes is simple enough.

 

And... for neuropathy, not so simple.

 

 

Neuropathy of the feet is easy enough to check for. Just get someone to prick your toes gently while you're not watching and see if you feel it. For neuropathy of the eyes, an eye doctor can check it easily enough.

 

If your urine contains sugar it means your blood sugar is over 180 mg/dl and you're pissing it out. At that point, you have serious case of diabetes type 2. You'll probably be very thirsty and pee a lot. At this point, if you don't lower your blood sugar, neuropathy is no longer a matter of if, but when you're going to have symptoms of it. You can buy sticks at the pharmacy to test urine for sugar content.

 

The best way to test your sugar metabolism is an HbA1c blood test - which are quite cheap and available at most clinics. It will give you an idea of your average blood sugar over the past 6 weeks or so.

 

Kidney and liver function are easy to test for with simple blood tests and important indications of health.

 

There's no way around it... getting old is a bitch and if it's not one problem it's another.

[scubascuba3]

5 hours ago, simon43 said:

I had a colon cancer test (negative) while in the UK

Was it one of those stool occult blood  tests? the only thing with those is the sample is very small, anyway i get these done annually at Lifecare lab for around 200 baht

[KhunLA]

CEA & AFP are cancer marker tests, routinely given with a check up.  I always get a full abdominal ultrasound.

[jerrymahoney]

So of the 7 references to colorectal cancer in the cancer.gov common tumor marker link above, most are to assess treatment after colon cancer has been detected.

 

Most cancers of the colon seem to start as a polyp that might have been removed 5+ years earlier during a full colonoscopy.

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by jerrymahoney

[Thailand J]

3 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Was it one of those stool occult blood  tests? the only thing with those is the sample is very small, anyway i get these done annually at Lifecare lab for around 200 baht

What I get at Lifecare lab Pattaya:

[jerrymahoney]

17 minutes ago, Thailand J said:

What I get at Lifecare lab Pattaya:

And again from the Cancer.gov tumor marker linked above:

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)

Cancer types: Colorectal cancer and some other cancers
What's analyzed: Blood
How used: To keep track of how well cancer treatments are working and check if cancer has come back or spread

 

NB: No mention of screening

 

[jerrymahoney]

Edit to the above: Of the 7 references to colorectal cancer, including CEA, in the cancer.gov tumor marker link, none list the 'How used' as " To help in diagnosis" which is the proper term they use for 'screening'.

[KhunLA]

5 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

So of the 7 references to colorectal cancer in the cancer.gov common tumor marker link above, most are to assess treatment after colon cancer has been detected.

 

Most cancers of the colon seem to start as a polyp that might have been removed 5+ years earlier during a full colonoscopy.

 

 

Yes, and why getting scoped (both directions for my) is recommend every 5 yrs after certain age.  Think I'm due next year, for my next one.   Only 1 or 2 very small polyps removed last time.

 

As I stated earlier, abdominal ultrasound is always good to have, as will show masses, that may or may not need further investigation.

[Sheryl]

9 hours ago, KhunLA said:

CEA & AFP are cancer marker tests, routinely given with a check up.  I always get a full abdominal ultrasound.

Neither CEA nor AFP are recommended for general screening purposes. They can be  elevated in a wide range of conditions other than cancer and/or for no discernable reason. Should  also note that Thai labs and hospitals uses a much lower cut off for AFP than is used internationally because there is a high incidence of primary liver cancer here which is not appl8cable to expats.

 

No public health authority anywhere recommends abdominal ultrasound as a general screening tool. Lots of incidental finfings apt to come up that may lead to further tests, some of them invasive and carrying risks.

 

Private hospitals here like to do these for exactly those reasons. 

 

@simon43 other than PSA the only  blood test recommended for routine cancer screening is a complete blood count (which will also detect anemia).

 

Livee enzymes (ALT, AST) are recommended to check annuslly though not mainly because of cancer. 

 

A routine urinalysis will show if there is blood in the urine which while in no way specific to bladder cancer   can be an early sign of it.

 

The gold standard for early detection/prevention of colon cancer is a colonoscopy. More reliable than fecal tests and has the added advsntage of detecting (and allowing removal of) pre-cancerous polyps.

 

if you have a history of smoking then depending on how much and how recently,  a special low dose CT scan may be  recommended for early detection of lung cancer. 

 

Cancer aside should have  lipid panel and HB1Ac once a year. More often if results abnormal.  And annual creatnine and BUN  (kidney function). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[simon43]

12 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Was it one of those stool occult blood  tests? the only thing with those is the sample is very small, anyway i get these done annually at Lifecare lab for around 200 baht

Yes, it was offered free after I registered with a GP.  So not a colonoscopy.

 

Also a free Covid booster, free flu and free pneumonia vaccinations.

 

@khunLA " I always get a full abdominal ultrasound." - Is that to check if you are pregnant?! ????

 

 

[Lacessit]

As I understand it, the gold standard for cancer detection is infusion with radioactive sugar, followed by a PET scan after 60 - 90 minutes. The uptake rate of sugar with cancer cells is faster than with normal cells. A PET scan can detect tiny tumors which would invisible to other procedures such as ultrasound.

I don't know if a PET scan will detect ALL cancers, perhaps Sheryl can elaborate further.

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

As I understand it, the gold standard for cancer detection is infusion with radioactive sugar, followed by a PET scan after 60 - 90 minutes. The uptake rate of sugar with cancer cells is faster than with normal cells. A PET scan can detect tiny tumors which would invisible to other procedures such as ultrasound.

I don't know if a PET scan will detect ALL cancers, perhaps Sheryl can elaborate further.

As if CT scan itself is not enough radiation.   Believe that is normally reserved for those with known cancer issues rather than a general test.  MRI w/contrast is what they use for me; with history of cancers.

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

As I understand it, the gold standard for cancer detection is infusion with radioactive sugar, followed by a PET scan after 60 - 90 minutes. The uptake rate of sugar with cancer cells is faster than with normal cells. A PET scan can detect tiny tumors which would invisible to other procedures such as ultrasound.

I don't know if a PET scan will detect ALL cancers, perhaps Sheryl can elaborate further.

PET scans (which are very, very expensive) are not done for routine screening. Much less total body PET scans.

 

They are done (sometimes)  when there is suspicion of a specific cancer in a specific location.

 

OP is asking about routine screening.

[Lorry]

8 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The gold standard for early detection/prevention of colon cancer is a colonoscopy. More reliable than fecal tests and has the added advsntage of detecting (and allowing removal of) pre-cancerous polyps.

That's correct. Healthy people over 45 - 50 should have a colonoscopy every 10 years. More often if at risk for colon cancer, which most people aren't.  See various guidelines. 

But somewhere between 70 and 80 (maybe 85)  people should stop doing regular colonoscopies. Guidelines vary, some say 72 or 75.

That would be quite a few of AN members.

 

An example for guidelines:

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/acs-recommendations.html

 

 

[Sheryl]

10 hours ago, Lorry said:

That's correct. Healthy people over 45 - 50 should have a colonoscopy every 10 years. More often if at risk for colon cancer, which most people aren't.  See various guidelines. 

But somewhere between 70 and 80 (maybe 85)  people should stop doing regular colonoscopies. Guidelines vary, some say 72 or 75.

That would be quite a few of AN members.

 

An example for guidelines:

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/acs-recommendations.html

 

 

I would add that the stopping at age 70-80 is assuming prior colonoscopies were normal and you do nto have other high risk factors. . If cancerous or pre-cancerous lesions were found, would not advise to stop then, at least not if in otherwise good shape.

 

The recommendation to stop at a certain age is because at some point the (small) risk of the procedure outweighs the potential advantages and because colon cancers are usually slow growing, i.e. if colonscopy at age 70 is clear the odds of later dying of colon cancer are small as you'll likely die of something else first. But that equation changes if prior colonoscopy found pre-cancerous lesion or there is a family history of colon cancer or other known risk factors.

 

Also individual risk factors for the procedure need to be considered. For example, if  on anticoagulants for a-fib or because of a stent etc.

[Menken]

On 4/16/2023 at 11:41 AM, KhunLA said:

Yes, and why getting scoped (both directions for my) is recommend every 5 yrs after certain age.  Think I'm due next year, for my next one.   Only 1 or 2 very small polyps removed last time.

 

As I stated earlier, abdominal ultrasound is always good to have, as will show masses, that may or may not need further investigation.

My father had bladder cancer for decades. It finally spread thru his body. The procedure to clean up the polyps is painful, nasty but keep you living. After he hit 90 he had decided never to have another procedure again.

[Sheryl]

On 4/16/2023 at 7:17 AM, jerrymahoney said:

And again from the Cancer.gov tumor marker linked above:

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)

Cancer types: Colorectal cancer and some other cancers
What's analyzed: Blood
How used: To keep track of how well cancer treatments are working and check if cancer has come back or spread

 

NB: No mention of screening

 

CEA is emphatically not suitable for acreening.

[Tiber]

On 4/16/2023 at 11:17 PM, Lorry said:

That's correct. Healthy people over 45 - 50 should have a colonoscopy every 10 years. More often if at risk for colon cancer, which most people aren't.  See various guidelines. 

But somewhere between 70 and 80 (maybe 85)  people should stop doing regular colonoscopies. Guidelines vary, some say 72 or 75.

That would be quite a few of AN members.

 

An example for guidelines:

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/acs-recommendations.html

 

 

Akin to having  kiss of death.  just got back from India looking at new knee prices.  Cheap, but had both ends done while there colonoscopy etc 1800 baht, 2 polyps found, bit disappointed, they grow fast, 200baht for analysis, expensive in Thailand 

 

[scubascuba3]

4 minutes ago, Tiber said:

Akin to having  kiss of death.  just got back from India looking at new knee prices.  Cheap, but had both ends done while there colonoscopy etc 1800 baht, 2 polyps found, bit disappointed, they grow fast, 200baht for analysis, expensive in Thailand 

 

why don't you do a full trip report? location, accomodation, hospitals etc etc, people would appreciate it

[Tiber]

25 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

why don't you do a full trip report? location, accomodation, hospitals etc etc, people would appreciate it

Fat fingers, small phone make it difficult. It's all there to be had bkk to calctta likened to regular stopping bus, that popular, anything but everything it's way cheap, but ask prices first. Went to goa this time, few days there then back. No cataracts, dry eyes tho 200 baht, bone doc for knee200baht, 10 pages ofbloodtesting 800 baht and so on... 10 pages longer than long I should add.. Hotels, booze whatever half price

Edited April 22, 2023 by Tiber

[Tiber]

Been caught out... Lab results.. Colon cancer... Either chonburi cancer hospital, or red x  si ratcha hospital or even back to India, they pos drool over cancer, still shock to system 

.... Pet scans cheap India 7000 baht, getting bag packed 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Tiber