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Asked by anon-239098 to James, Hannah, binuraj on 13 Mar 2020.
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Binuraj Menon answered on 13 Mar 2020:
Hi Kaicairns123,
A very good question. There are many types of cancer and the detection of cancer also depend on the type. Doctors usually diagnose patients based on the symptoms. The usual ways are
a) Physical examination (Your doctor may feel areas of your body for lumps that may indicate a tumor)
b) Laboratory tests. Laboratory tests, such as urine and blood tests, may help your doctor identify abnormalities (we call it biomarkers) that are caused by cancer.
c) Imaging tests, such as computerized tomography (CT) scan, bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, ultrasound and X-ray,
d) Biopsy :collects a sample of cells for testing in the laboratory under a microscope (either with or without staining). Normal cells look uniform, with similar sizes and orderly organization. Cancer cells look less orderly, with varying sizes and without apparent organization.
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Hannah Blyth answered on 13 Mar 2020: last edited 13 Mar 2020 5:09 pm
Hello Kaicairns123! Cancer is a group of many different diseases that can cause many different and almost any sign or symptom you can imagine. Some symptoms, such as tiredness or coughing, are more likely caused by something other than cancer, so it can be tricky to know. Sometimes cancers can start in places where it won’t cause any signs or symptoms until it has grown larger! As a result, if you are ever worried that you might have something it is always best to speak to a Doctor or GP, who can do the tests they think are appropriate which Binuraj mentions in his answer, rather than just listening to Dr. Google!
There is some good information on the American Cancer Society sponsored page: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/signs-and-symptoms-of-cancer.html
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