Testing: What to Expect

There are many tools that a doctor may use to understand a tumor. These include tests for when the doctor first finds your cancer, and others done while you are being treated. The most common tests include: biopsy; imaging tests such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans; endoscopes in which a tiny camera is used to take pictures inside the body; and lab tests such as urine and blood samples.1

Biomarker tests are available only for certain types of cancers. Biomarkers are most often found in blood or urine samples or in the cancer tissue.2 So the blood, urine or biopsy sample taken at your first exam might be used for biomarker testing.

Your doctor may not think that biomarker testing is right for you. If that is the case, then he or she can still find a treatment option by using other types of tests.

References:
  1. Stanford Medicine Cancer Center. Cancer Diagnosis. Available at http://cancer.stanford.edu/information/cancerDiagnosis/. Accessed April 1, 2011.
  2. National Cancer Institute. Tumor Markers: Questions and Answers. Available at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/detection/tumor-markers. Accessed April 1, 2011.

Learn how targeted treatment helps inform cancer care.

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See a guide to discussing biomarkers and cancer care with your doctor.

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