Testing for Cancer with Blood Tests

[SuffolkBunny]

Hi William and welcome to the board,
I can identify with your fear regarding cancer, but as the others have said it sounds like the infection is far more likely to be the culprit. If you read through the past board topics you will see that many here have had their BFS begin after a virus or infection.

Suzi (or anyone else) how do they test for cancer through blood tests?
I know my GP was thinking along these lines because when I went back for my blood results she said "the good news is I dont think you have cancer." It kind of surprised me, cos it wasnt something I'd even considered. Do you think she tested because she was thinking of parneoplastic syndrome?

 

[alwaysmoving]

I start with a new doctor on monday and will probably ask for a refferal to a nuero. I don't think I have cancer because the pain is on and off and migrates. Also my twtiching was worse then better now worse, I feel like with cancer it would be progressively worse as the nerves are destroyed. Still, it is definately a worry because, no matter how bad some of these syndromes and chronic conditions can be, there is nothing like cancer which cause death. Death is the big word I'm trying to put out of my mind as I struggle to figure out what the hell is wrong with me.

 

[beensuggested]

To the first question, it is a small liklihood that Cancer or a tumor is pinching a nerve and causing the twitching. Interesting however that you chose Cancer to be killing you while yet others have chosen ALS. Either way, no one is dying anytime soon. Yes there has been a very small correlation with "paraneoplastic syndrome" and twitching. Some of this comes actually from studies with Myasthenia patients. Usually when they are diagnosed, a CT is par for the course to rule out thymoma or tumor of the thymus gland as that has been the cause of some - not many- cases of Myasthenia. At any rate, there is a very small percentage of people who present with the symptoms of twitching and have any type of cancer as the source and as LisaLM has pointed out...there are other far more obvious signs that something is wrong if you have Cancer or a tumor.

Yes there are blood tests that help us narrow the field and either suspect or confirm cancer. Those would be various liver enzymes like alkaline phosphatase, A:G ratio, your red blood cell count, your white blood cell count and differential and also something called an ESR.

Finally, no one here is dying from anything sinister. It sounds to me William like you have concurrent things going on. First it certainly sounds like Reiters Syndrome to me. It also sounds like you have BFS which has nothing to do with the first other than the fact that if your immune system is taxed it may have just manifested this way.

Oh and licorice flavored panties???? Nice to hear from you again Basso

Kit

 

[MysticalGlitchy]

I'm so glad you addressed this issue in a post, Kit! Just the other day someone PM'ed me and asked why the PNH website freaked me out. My response was... the paraneoplastic stuff. Or.... was it the PARANOID stuff- can't remember!!

LisaLM also helped me A LOT when it came to this issue!! It's sooo funny that this old post popped up again.