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Cancer Testing |
How to test for cancer?
(May 10, 2010)
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A cancer is described as the growth of abnormal cells on or within an organ or part of the body. These abnormal cells form a tumor. A cancer is a tumor that grows out of control, attacks healthy parts of the body and spreads across the body. Leukemia is one form of cancer that does not develop any tumors. All forms of cancer are life threatening in varying degrees. Cancer becomes extremely life threatening when it begins to spread across the body. This indicates advancement in the stage of the cancer and treating such a cancer becomes difficult. Cancer treatment is dependent on how quickly the cancer can be detected because the earlier the stage of the cancer, the more chance there is of survival. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world.
The exact causes of cancer are not completely understood. However, there are carcinogens that are known which tend to increase a person’s risk of suffering from cancer. These include cigarette smoke, certain drugs, radiation, and continuous exposure to hazards in the environment. A person may also have a DNA makeup that makes them more susceptible to cancer based on the inherited susceptibility of members of their family. Cancer testing is done as a preventative measure during normal health checkups and as a diagnostic test when some symptoms appear that are related to the cancer.
Cancer diagnosis is based on the area that the cancer occurs. The existence of a cancer tumor can cause pain in the area where it is present. Cancer tumors may also cause the organ in question to function poorly. When any symptoms associated with cancer are discovered, a person is put through a series of tests for cancer. Blood tests can be used for to check for cancerous cells flowing in the blood. The levels of some substances in the blood, like the CEA antigen may be elevated during cancer infections. Imaging techniques such as MR scans or CT scans are used to visibly detect a tumor based on the different opacity it will produce on such an image. X-ray imaging may also be used in a similar way to detect any abnormal growths. Some cancers may exist within an organ like the bladder, the digestive system and so on. In such cases an endoscope may be used to look at the tumor and to scrape off a sample of the tumor tissue which may be sent to a laboratory for confirmation of the condition.
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Submitted by M T on May 10, 2010 at 03:52
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