Blood Tests for Cancer
Whilst there is no single test for every type of cancer, scientists have identified various substances produced in the body that have been named “tumour markers”. Most tumour markers are produced by normal cells as well as cancerous cells, but may be produced by cancerous cells in higher amounts. These substances are usually proteins and are not only found in the blood, but also in urine, stool and body tissue of patients with cancer.
After discussing your symptoms and conducting an examination, your doctor may recommend screening for tumour markers. Do not worry about determining for yourself which if any blood test you need. This is something that your doctor will be able to determine and explain during your consultation.
All our blood tests are available same day with some of the fastest results in London. One of our doctors will take the time to explain to you what your test results mean and put in place any appropriate next steps based on those results.
How it works
1. BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
2. MEET WITH A DOCTOR
3. RECEIVE YOUR RESULTS
4. FOLLOW UP (OPTIONAL)
Types of Blood Test
Cancer & Related Tests
| Test | Price | Lab results * |
|---|---|---|
| DocTap Over 40s Male Screen | £119 | 2 days |
|
HAEMATOLOGY FBC with 5-part Diff BIOCHEMISTRY Urea and Electrolytes Liver Function Tests Lipid Profile Glycosylated Haemoglobin TUMOUR MARKERS Prostate Specific Antigen (Total) |
||
| Alpha Feto Protein | £70 | 1 days |
| Beta HCG (Quantitative) | £52 | 1 days |
| CA 125 | £69 | 1 days |
| CA 15-3 | £128 | 1 days |
| CA 19-9 | £128 | 1 days |
| CA 50 | £154 | 6 working days |
| Calprotectin | £99 | 6 working days |
| Carcino Embryonic Antigen | £88 | 1 days |
| Complex PSA (Prostate Specific Ag) | £88 | 5 working days |
| Prostate Specific Antigen (Total)* | £80 | 1 days |
| Squamous Cell Carcinoma | £200 | 5 working days |
| Testicular Tumour Profile | £134 | 1 days |
| Well Man Profile plus HDL Cholesterol, LDL Cholesterol and Non-HDL Cholesterol | £175 | 1 days |
Biochemistry (24 Parameters) & Haematology Profile PLUS |
||
* Please note that the lab results are estimates and can vary. Tests taken after 1pm will be classified as the following day for timing purposes. You will receive a written analysis of your results within 1 working day of them being available from the laboratory. It is often possible for the doctor who reviews your results to be the same doctor who requested them. This is considered medical best practice but will add an additional 1 working day to the timings. If you have multiple tests then we shall wait to report on them together unless the first results highlight any reason for concern. Sometimes the preliminary results will determine that additional tests need to be carried out on your sample. If this is the case then your results will take longer. There is no additional charge for this service.
Why Choose DocTap?
DocTap seek to provide the most convenient, fastest, effective and best value private blood testing service in London. With 9 blood test centres across London and same day appointments available 7 days a week, it has never been easier to book a cancer test. We are proud to partner with The Doctors Laboratory (TDL) which has a worldwide reputation for excellence.
Unlike many organisations, you will see a UK accredited GP who will be able to offer their expert option on what test is most appropriate for you. Your results will also be accompanied by a written analysis of what they mean and what your doctor advises you to do next. Should additional treatment be required, or if you simply wish to discuss the results in more detail, then you can book a 15 minute follow up consultation for only £25. This can either be at any DocTap clinic or over the phone. When booking your follow up consultation you can request to see you original doctor if you wish (subject to their availability).
Should you require a full consulation before deciding to have a cancer test then there may be insufficient time to also take a blood sample in the appointment. In that case you can choose to either go to our walk in laboratory by Oxford Street (£15 phlebotomy fee applies) or to make a second appointment for the doctor to take the bloods.
Types of Tests for Cancer
There have been many different tumour markers identified, some which are associated with one type of cancer, others with several. For example:
- Ca 125 blood test - ovarian cancer.
- Ca 19-9 blood test - pancreatic cancer, gallbladder cancer, bile duct cancer, gastric cancer
- AFP blood test - alphafetoprotein - liver cancer and germ cell tumours
- CEA blood test - carcinoembryonic antigen - colorectal cancer
- PSPA blood test - prostate specific antigen - prostate cancer
What cancers can we diagnose?
Unfortunately it is not as easy as taking a single blood test for cancer and diagnosing or ruling out a cancer. If it was there would be mass population screening. For one of these tumour marker tests to be useful on its own for diagnosis of cancer it would have to have a very high sensitivity (correctly identifying the people with cancer) and very high specificity (correctly identifying the people that do not have cancer). In other words, getting a positive test result would need to mean that the chance of having cancer would be very high, and getting a negative result would need to mean that the chance of having cancer would be very low. Unfortunately for all the tumour markers identified to date this is not the case, so for these tests, we are not there yet.
There are occasions when a doctor will want to test a tumour marker as part of their diagnostic investigations. Often doctors will use more definitive tests (eg scans or endoscopy) if they need to rule out cancer.
However, many of them are useful after a diagnosis of cancer to track the progress of the cancer in response to different treatments.
Should all men have a PSA test done?
The PSA (prostate specific antigen) test has the same limitations of other cancer markers. While testing all men would detect cancer in many older men, it isn't clear how many of them needed to know. This is because many men will die of something else having never needed to know that they had prostate cancer. Unfortunately we cant tell which of the men with prostate cancer need treatment and which can ignore it. As a result, men with prostate cancer will often have surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy which can cause significant life-long side effects. While for some men this will have been life saving, for many others they will suffer harm from treatment which they never needed to have. This is a complex issue and if you are thinking about this test then please speak with a doctor to find out more.
Book a cancer test Today
Our doctors are available now and can perform diagnosis and blood tests for over 1000 conditions. To see a GP regarding a cancer test or for any other reason book an appointment now and start feeling better right away.