Cost Of Tests

[KARL]

I am curious about two things relating to blood sample tests for tumour markers. Firstly, am I correct that this is a fairly straight forward issue, i.e. that a sample of blood will show the likely (definite ?) presence of one or more tumours of any type (only malignant ?) anywhere in the body ? Secondly, how much does it cost to carry out such a test, in round numbers ?

[Sqad]

The only group of cancers that a blood test will show are cancers of the blood and or lymphatic system e.g leukaemia.s

Certain blood tests may be indicative but not diagnostic of malignant disease.e.g PSA for prostate cancer.

Blood tests for malignant disease except for those mentioned above are at best of very limited value and at worse useless.

A blood test or PSA would cost around £40 depending upon the test.

I just have the feeling that you are not laying your cards on the table here.

[KARL]

I know someone who has now had results showing increased levels of tumour markers and a CT scan shows "recidive" in the peritonium. A year ago she was diagnosed with cancer of the ovaries and that was after being treated off and on for abdominal pain, etc. supposedly due to illness of the digestive system. She had a radical hysterectomy and chemo-therapy followed. One facet of the monitoring is by measuring tumour markers. The irony is that it was her husband who finally after the year of "indigestion" treatment insisted on a scan - he is an obstetrician. I just wonder, if the markers are an indicator, why are they not a routine test to eliminate malignancy before relying on something like antacid tablets - the stock issue medication whenever anyone presents with anything vaguely in the stomach region. This is not the first case I have direct knowledge of where such a cavalier approach ends in disastrously late diagnosis of something very serious. In a less dramatic case, I was passed off with antacid and then later a consultant bounced off my complaint with an absurd explanation. Only when I self-diagnosed the problem and presented my conclusion was it admitted that I was correct - my assumption is that because it requires an operation to correct I was deliberately put off to free up the system (why else, not incompetence, surely ?).

Such are the cards that I now lay out on the table - it boils down to simply wondering why a simple diagnostic is not routinely judiciously used in order to avoid another red medical face. Of course if the diagnostic being used to monitor the patient's recovery is a piece of quackery.......

[KARL]

P.S. A year ago, at the time of her diagnosis, the tumour marker levels were "off the scale".

[Sqad]

Karl....I understand you emotions, but tumour markers ar not the answer in the majority of cancer cases and are a poor predictor of malignant disease compared to other methods of investigation.

That really is the only explanation that I can give for your unfortunate experiences.

The UK is well down in the European cancer survival league and I have my own opinions as to why this should be so and it has nothing to do with the introduction of routine tumour maskers.

[KARL]

Interesting. The case I refer to is in a country which according to reports does better than the UK in cancer survival rates. But still this happened there, the other cases I have in mind are/were in the UK - except for one which was in a third country that I think also outdoes the UK in most health statistics.

As for my "emotions" - I am puzzled as to why these markers are not checked when they really might prove a useful and cheap first indicator when possible answers include malignancy, at least to rule it out rather than try everything else and then as a last resort check for cancer. I assume the markers give a reading once any cancer has spread enough. Once the lowest reading is obtainable it is time to start looking for the source, once the reading is extreme it is probably too late: The antacids definitely have then not worked and waiting has given the cancer a chance to get closer to being terminal. To me this is a no-brainer but then I am a mere human.

[Sqad]

"To me this is a no-brainer but then I am a mere human"

As we all are Karl.....as we all are.

[boxtops]

Karl, I used to work with a physician who chose to ignore skin cancer until it was too late.....

[Sqad]

boxy....explain what you mean by "too late."