Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Cancer blood tests: Lab tests used in cancer diagnosis

Cancer blood tests and other laboratory tests may help your doctor make a cancer diagnosis. Reduce your anxiety by learning about cancer blood tests and how they're used. By Mayo Clinic staff
Blood tests alone can rarely, if ever, show the presence or absence of cancer. If it's suspected that you have cancer, your doctor may order certain cancer blood tests or other laboratory tests, such as an analysis of your urine or a biopsy of a suspicious area, to help guide the diagnosis. While cancer blood tests generally can't absolutely tell whether you have cancer or some other noncancerous condition, they can give your doctor clues about what's going on inside your body.
Because your doctor has ordered cancer blood tests or other laboratory tests to look for signs of cancer doesn't mean that a cancer diagnosis has been made and you have cancer. Find out what your doctor might be looking for when cancer blood tests are done.

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