Cancer is considered one of the diseases that pose a great burden on patients and their families, in addition to its impact on society as a whole, as it affects different age groups. Cancer is defined as the abnormal growth of some cells in the body, as these cells grow uncontrollably. Although cancer is the second most common cause of death in the world, opportunities to treat many types of cancer have now become possible through cancer tests, surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, especially if the disease is discovered in its early stages, which is carried out within Al Mousa Health Hospital with all health measures.

What are cancer tests?

Cancer tests can detect several symptoms, including cancerous tumors, which are a collection of tissue or a mass resulting from the accumulation of abnormally growing cells. In the human body, cells divide continuously to ensure growth and regeneration and then enter a programmed cell death cycle to maintain a certain number and size of cells. However, in some cases disorders occur in the cells, which leads to them dividing in an abnormal way without stopping, and these cells form a mass known as a tumor.

Not all tumors are cancerous. Some may be benign while others are malignant or cancerous. The difference between a benign and a malignant tumor is that a benign tumor cannot spread to other parts of the body, while cancer can spread to nearby or distant tissues and organs. Sometimes cancer cells separate from the main tumor and travel through the blood or lymph to other areas of the body.

How to detect the presence of cancer in the body

Cancer treatment methods depend on determining the type of tumor, its degree, and the extent of its spread. Each case requires customized treatment. There are many tests to detect and diagnose tumors, including invasive and non-invasive tests. Among the most common non-invasive tests are tumor marker tests, which look for signs indicating the presence of tumors in the body through blood analysis.

Cancer tests focus on searching for tumor markers, which are substances released by cancer cells or normal cells in response to cancer. These markers may be proteins that are naturally present in the body, but the cancer secretes them in larger quantities than usual. 

In some cases, genetic changes can also be signs of tumors. Tumor marker tests are usually done by taking a blood sample, but some of these markers may be found in urine, cell samples, or fluids collected during a biopsy.

Types of cancer tests 

In a related context regarding cancer tests, some types of cancer are among the most common in the world, including:

• سرطان الثديIt is considered the most common type of cancer, and it mainly affects women, as about 1 in every 12 women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, while cancer cases in men represent only about 1% of all breast cancer cases.
• Lung cancer: It is the second most common type, and is divided into two main types: small and non-small cell lung cancer.
• Prostate cancer: This type of cancer affects about 1 in 9 men.
• Colorectal cancer: This cancer affects different parts of the digestive system, and is one of the most common cancers among individuals.
• Blood cancers: This includes leukemia (blood cancer) and lymphoma, which are two of the most common types of blood cancers.

The importance of cancer tests

More than 14 million people are infected with cancer annually, and the disease is recorded as a major cause of death, causing one in every six deaths around the world. Hence, increasing awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and providing the necessary treatment can contribute to significantly reducing these numbers. Here are some of the reasons why early detection of cancer is so important:

• Chance for recovery: Diagnosing cancer in its early stages represents the best chance for recovery, as the patient can obtain timely treatment, which increases the probability of complete recovery.
• Reducing costs: Early screening significantly reduces the financial costs related to treatment, as cancer treatment in its early stages is less expensive than treatment in advanced stages.
• Avoid suffering: If the cancer is diagnosed in the late stages, the ability of effective treatment is limited, which leads to suffering that could have been avoided if early detection had been done.
• Reducing psychological burdens: Early detection of the disease helps reduce psychological burdens on the patient and his family, as it contributes to obtaining appropriate treatment and faster recovery.

Do all types of cancer show up in blood tests?

Cancer tests are used to detect its presence, but they are not considered sufficient or decisive to determine the final diagnosis, for several reasons, including the following:

• High levels of tumor markers in non-cancerous conditions such as infections or benign tumors.
• Tumor marker tests cannot determine whether these markers are caused by cancer cells or normal cells in the body.
• In some types of cancer, the levels of tumor markers may not change until an advanced stage of the disease, which makes tests appear normal in the early stages of the disease.
• Despite these limitations, tumor marker analyzes remain an important and useful tool in providing a comprehensive and clear picture of the status of cancer in the body, especially when used in conjunction with other diagnostic tests.

Normal ratio tumor marker analysis

Tumor markers are substances that help diagnose some types of cancer or monitor its treatment. Cancer cells for each type produce a specific substance known as a tumor marker, or may be secreted by the body in response to its attempts to get rid of the cancer. Tumor markers are usually examined through blood, urine, or tissue. It is important to note that the results of tumor markers should not be relied upon alone, but other tests must be performed to confirm the diagnosis, because these markers may rise for reasons not related to cancerous tumors.

Tumor markers are usually requested in order to diagnose cancer, or to predict the patient's response to the proposed treatment, or to monitor his response during treatment, or to monitor possible relapses. The type of examination required varies based on the patient's health, medical history, and the symptoms he suffers from.

The normal range for the AFP test ranges between 0 - 15 IU/ml in men and non-pregnant women. If the result is more than 400, it may indicate ovarian or testicular cancer. The normal percentage for the CA 15-3 test is less than 31 IU/ml and is used to diagnose cancer in the breast, lung, ovary, uterus, bladder, or digestive system. The normal percentage for the CA 19-9 test is less than 37 IU/ml, while a value exceeding 120 indicates

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Frequently asked questions 

Does CBC test detect cancer?

Blood tests include many important tests, such as a complete blood count (CBC), kidney function test, liver function test, in addition to a test to determine the level of uric acid. Examination of a blood smear under a microscope is also necessary to detect any potential cancer cells. One of the most common tests to determine the type of leukemia is a bone marrow biopsy.

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• BRAF V600 mutations: These are genetic changes that occur in the BRAF gene and are considered biomarkers in some types of cancer.
• Rearrangement of B-cell immunoglobulin genes: These are the changes that occur in the genes of B-cell immune antibodies in white blood cells and contribute to some cancers.
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA): This is a substance produced in the prostate and the PSA level in the blood is used as a tool to detect prostate cancer.
• ALK gene rearrangements and increased gene expression: These include changes in the ALK gene that may lead to a type of cancer and are often treated with targeted therapies.
• Beta-2 microglobulin (B2M): This is a protein measured in the blood and used as an indicator of some types of cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma.
• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP): It is a protein normally produced in the liver, and high levels may indicate liver cancer or some other type of tumor.
• Bladder tumor antigen (BTA): This is a test to detect signs of bladder cancer in urine.
• BCR-ABL fusion gene: It is a gene resulting from genetic exchange between chromosomes 9 and 22 and is considered a biomarker for blood cancers such as leukemia.

Is there an early cancer screening?

Early detection of cancer contributes significantly to increasing the chances of successful treatment, and this depends on two main elements: early diagnosis and screening. In early diagnosis, the focus is on discovering people who show initial symptoms at an early stage, while screening aims to conduct tests on healthy people with the aim of identifying those with cancer before any symptoms appear.

How do I know that I have cancer?

Blood tests are the most common type of tumor marker tests. Urine tests or biopsies can also be used to detect tumor markers. Early cancer detection aims to detect the disease before symptoms appear. This includes blood and urine tests, DNA tests or medical imaging. The benefits of early detection in terms of prevention and later treatment must be weighed against any risks that may arise from the tests themselves. 

Here we have finished and learned together all the details of cancer tests, the most important types of these tests and their benefits, in addition to the percentage of these tests and their importance. You can rely on the doctors of Al-Mousa Health Hospital to detect these tests and begin treatment immediately. 

Sources 

How Cancer Is Diagnosed – cancer

Blood Tests for Cancer – clevelandclinic