In the case of colon cancer, will cancer show up in blood work? The answer to this question may not be what you expect. A blood test can be a false positive or just a mystery cancer. Ultimately, it’s up to you to find out. In the study described below, 46 women had cancer that was never found by blood tests or standard screening. But in most cases, the cancer was found after the woman had presented symptoms and had undergone invasive follow-up testing.
One of the most common tests is a CA-125 blood test. This test measures the amount of cancer antigens found in your blood. Among other things, a high CA-125 level is a sign of ovarian cancer in women. However, this test is not meant to diagnose pre-cancerous conditions. It is used to track the effectiveness of treatment for a patient with cancer. Ultimately, a lower CA-125 level can signal successful treatment.
Another test used to check for cancer is the complete blood count (CBC). This test measures the numbers of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in a person’s blood. If the CBC shows an abnormality, it could indicate cancer activity. Higher protein levels in the blood could indicate a more serious condition or a larger tumor. Blood tests are not conclusive for cancer diagnosis, so doctors often order imaging tests or biopsies to confirm the diagnosis.
