like Types of Cancers, STDs, AIDs, Heredity of a disease from a family member, ect........
2007-06-15 10:14:42 · 7 answers · asked by ^__^ 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
Blood tests do identify certain cancers and other disease, for example, high levels of calcium in the test indicate a possible tumor, prostate cancer is identified thru a routine blood test, and of course AIDS is identified thru a blood test.
However, not one single heredity disease is identified thru a blood test. Those tests require Genetic testing to identify the mutant genes that cause the disease. Quite a different thing than routine blood tests and very costly too. For example the mutant gene responsible for many breast cancers, BRAC1, 2 is identifed thru a genetic test for the mutant gene that identifies the BRAC, its position. The genetic test also determines what medication will work well on a patient to treat the breast cancer that that have. For example, Taxol, is used effectively against some breast cancers causes by the mutant BRAC, and not effective nor used on others.
2007-06-15 15:41:51 · answer #1 · answered by James M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. unless the doctor suspects a certain disease, otherwise a standard blood lab will only point to further testing.
an example is hepatitis c infection. not always will a liver panel lab show an increase in alt and ast levels. many doctors to this very day assume all is well, when in reality, a doctor should test for direct antibodies.
so, no, a regular lab test will not be your best bet. you could have been recently exposed to something in which the infection is too new for antibodies to show up.
as for specific STDs (which includes HIV) or certain cancers, the doctor again would specifically test for these.
genetics use specific testing, but you would have to ask him to test and this test is highly expensive.
as for cancer, the doctor will have to have reason to test for this.
2007-06-16 03:29:53 · answer #2 · answered by Stephanie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to some degree yes. but dr usually have to have an idea of what they want to test for. if you were to be tested for everything at once, you wouldn't be able to give that much blood. but not being a dr, i dont know. usually if they are testing for cancer there is something else in the body that would lead them to check and then they would test the growth. but they can usually tell you have a problem if you have an elevated or decreased white blood count.
2007-06-15 17:24:00 · answer #3 · answered by orange blossom honey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
blood test are not always used as diagnostics test. Some diseases require diferent test. But once is diagnosed can be monitored by blood tests.
2007-06-15 17:25:38 · answer #4 · answered by Vanessa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time yes.
2007-06-15 17:21:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most of the time. depends on what your looking to have revealed.
2007-06-15 17:22:56 · answer #6 · answered by ME2029 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yep, blood tests are indicators of it all.
2007-06-15 17:26:03 · answer #7 · answered by Irish 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋