Cancer biomarkers

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Hi. A friend on the chemo ward told me today when she has her pre treatment blood tests they check for “biomarkers”. I wasn’t aware they did this and now I’m worried sick they are doing it for me and not telling me and it’s bad. 

The rational part of me is thinking they are doing it for her because she needs her tumour shrinking before surgery whereas mine is as removed via surgery some time ago. 

Has anyone else had this? Just don’t want to turn up to my oncology review appointment in a few weeks and get a shock if they mention this. I’m tootling along with treatment and feeling positive so don’t want this to knock me. 

  • I would try not to worry about this. The main purpose of pre-treatment blood tests is to check you are healthy enough to have treatment. Sometimes treatment might be delayed because (for example) your white cell count hasn’t recovered enough from the previous treatment, or because you are showing signs of active infection. Particular treatments have risk profiles that require specific things to be monitored - for example a treatment might have impact on kidneys and if so creatinine levels will be of particular interest. 

  • Hi Sparkle  welcome to the forum. I think that you have actually answered your own question when you say              "The rational part of me is thinking they are doing it for her because she needs her tumour shrinking before surgery whereas mine is as removed via surgery some time ago". Best wishes Gail