Common Tests Used To Diagnose Cancer

Urinalysis

An individual who exhibits symptoms of certain types of cancer may need to have a urinalysis done to aid with their diagnosis. Urinalysis is a laboratory test performed on a patient's urine that measures the number of blood cells, chemicals, and proteins contained within it. The most prevalent symptom among patients affected by cancer in their bladder is referred to as hematuria, which is when an individual has blood spilling into their urine that can be detected by the naked eye or a microscope. A urinalysis can confirm whether discoloration of the urine is caused by hematuria or another mechanism. Certain types of cancer in the body can cause abnormal substances or abnormal quantities of substances to spill into the patient's urine. Newer methods can utilize urinalysis to identify the presence of certain proteins known to be tumor markers for bladder cancer. Abnormal levels of glucose or white blood cells in the urine can also indicate the presence of malignancy in other organs.