Big Col medical question

[Big Col]

Hi all,

First of all just a quick update on me illness, Ive now had my last lot of chemo,and am now getting over the treatment.I feel alot better now and just waiting for some more tests to be done,and hopefully get the op over and done with.

I would really really like to thank everyone on this forum who have been a great source of support, believe me i have been i a dark place, but you loy on yhis forum has kept me and my wife smiling and positive. This may sound cheesy but every posting you made,made a diference, when i was feeling low. And Ive had pms, and am happy to say that 2 people from our postings have had check ups, one can be treated by tablets and the other is now being sorted by the doctors. Every posting makes a difference.A probem shared is a problem halfed, and if like folks on this forum you allgot us through this

Many many many thanks from our hearts.

The question i have is this.

Some one else unfortnatley finds them selves with the same illness, and has had it undianosed for 2/3 years in the UK.

She has been a blood donor for years,and the last 2/3 whilst having cancer,She had to have the blood tests to make sure she hadnt got STDS orhepititus why wasnt her illness not picked up whilst donating blood, I myself had lots of blood tests for me troubles with me testies,waterworks checking for diabetis,or infections,
yet they didnt find the cancer tags that were picked up by doctors in Spain.

I have rang my UK doctor, and he was shocked when i told him i had cancer, but he said that the blood is only tested for things that they are asked to test for,and that this senario is very common!!!!!!.

Is this true?? how can a person donate blood, have blood tests but her blood was not checked for cancer cells??

Surely when having blood tests everything should be tested.???

Any coments ?

all the best from a very very gratefull member

Big Col and family

[Bongtrees]

There is no one test for cancer cells as different types of cancer produce different markers. Indeed many people suffering from cancer can show no markers as in for instance colon cancer where the markers are known as CEA and CA19. I have known people diagnosed with end stage with normal blood results.

Can cancer be passed to another person via blood? well the medicos say no, indeed if it could one would guess it could be transferred via other body fluids also.

Glad to hear you are feeling well

Mike

[hillybilly]

Continuing best wishes...

[annie_d]

I take blood from people weekly. When I send it to the lab I ask for specific tests only. For example LFT (Liver Function Test) and I receive the results for that tests only.
I imagine the whole thing comes down to money as each test costs and so unless you had sign and symptoms of a disease you wouldn't be checked for it.
Anecdotally, I recently had severe abdominal pain and my white cell count only was tested, found to be extraordinarily high and I was found to have cholecystitis.
You can of course request any blood test you feel you need or, pay privately. The actual test is quite inexpensive.

[annie_d]

I am sorry Col, i got so caught up in my answer i forgot to send you my continued best wishes. Good for you and i hope all goes well for you and your family. I still have your number in my mobile phone for when we move, "Big Col". Caused a bit of trouble at first when my husband found it!

[El Cid]

I take blood from people weekly. When I send it to the lab I ask for specific tests only. For example LFT (Liver Function Test) and I receive the results for that tests only. .

Are you talking about the UK?

In Spain a standard blood test runs to 4 pages of results.

Sid

[Jool]

Hi Sid,

But still only for what the medics want you to be tested for, they just put more results on the paper they hand to patients over here. Its just not easy to detect cancer in standard blood tests........

Don´t know you but glad you are on the turn round Col

[annie_d]

Sorry, yes. I am talking about UK. Our forms ask....what tests are you requesting? Quite simplistic.
It is all about the costing.

[BENIDORM]

Col.,
Good to hear that you are on the mend and that you and your family are so positive..

Keep Smiling....

Gordon..

[Big Col]

Hi El Cid

yes the blood tests for me and the lady were all carried out in the UK.

My consultant in Granada says if the blood tests were done here, they would have asked for more, when being sent away for testing.

So just to clarify, if the doctors in the UK had done complete testing with the bloods,then this cancer might have been dianosed years sooner.I was receiving treatment by way of tablets for pain but at no time was my condition picked up,.

Just amazing that as soon as i go to my Spanish doctor,he sends me up to the hospital in Granada, scans xrays and bloods were all done in one day and dianosed with testculer cancer, operation to remove testical carried out within a month,!! and chemotherapy (80 hrs of it) carried out the following 3 months, now all we waiting is for results.

The treatment, the hospitals doctors and nurses have been brillient as in 110%, the equipment used is so modern, and in the wards must work out at 1 nurse per patient, and abundence of cleaners in the wards.

Meals were excelent and my wife stayed with me and was also fed 3 fantastic meals a day with coffees ect in between.

The only thing we had to get use to, is the rest of the patient familys arrived at 9pm to 1 am and was a family ocasion, like mini partys.

[El Cid]

My consultant in Granada says if the blood tests were done here, they would have asked for more, when being sent away for testing. .

Hi Big Col

Yes, as I said earlier, they seem to test for everything here. There are loads of little analysis clinics in all the towns and then of course there are the hospitals - it seems that in Spain, unlike the UK, they know the meaning of preventative medicine.

Our Centro de Salud do blood tests every Monday and a team of 6 come down from the hospital and do the tests. There are hoards of people there but they get through about one a minute! If it's urgent they send you to the hospital or the local clinic.

I get a comprehensive blood test every year on request, not as a result of having a problem.

Glad to hear that it has worked out well for you and that you are recovering well.

Sid

[alisonb]

Col - glad to hear all is going well with you. My son in law was diagnosed with the same thing in March. He's had the op and fortunately doesn't need anything further.
With reference to blood testing in general - blood donors are tested for two groups of things, one to check blood groups, to make sure that the blood is compatible with a recipient, and the other to check for diseases which can be transmitted by blood donation. As for hospital/GP testing, I can't comment about Spain, but in the UK it is actually an offence to test for something which hasn't been requested. Patients need to give informed consent for all tests done. The problem with blanket screening is that for every one true abnormal result which indicates a disease, there are many more which do not, but would need, in some cases, quite extensive investigation to exclude a disease which clinically wasn't suspected anyway. An example is PSA, the test for prostatic cancer. For every abnormal test result found, only a very small proportion will actually have cancer. All tumour markers are similar. Whilst the cost of testing is a consideration, testing is an adjunct to clinical opinion, and should only be done when there is clinical suspicion of a specific disease. Anyway, off the soapbox now, I'm supposed to have left all that behind. Just glad to hear that the Spanish system works well.

[dido72]

So glad to hear you are feeling better, we will keep everything crossed for your results, I'm sure they will be good news.

Best wishes from us x.

[Troglodyfae]

Hiya Big Man

Nice to see you posting here again, and I am sure by the responses you have had that everyone else welcomes your return. We must be getting close to our Brandyathon We have been putting it off for a while now, but I can almost smell the brandy and coke, and see you and I sitting like a couple of old farts putting the world to rights.

So Mr Man are we a Granddad again then or what? As Kel has gone quiet I thought maybe there was news of an arrival.

Take Care Honey

Van XX

[Marina]

So pleased to hear that things are going well for you!

[Sadie]

Good to hear you are doing so well and staying positive.