A question about Stomach Cancer?

Question

Is there a blood test to determine stomach cancer?

Answer 1

One test used to diagnose stomach cancer is an upper gastrointestinal tract x-ray. This stomach cancer diagnostic test is sometimes called an upper GI x-ray. In this stomach cancer test, the patient drinks a barium solution

Another stomach cancer diagnostic test is called a fecal occult blood test. This test is use to check for blood in the stool which can be a symptom of stomach cancer. Having blood in the stool does not necessarily mean that you have stomach cancer.

An endoscopy is another test used in stomach cancer diagnosis. This test is conducted by passing a thin tube into the stomach. This tube allows the doctor to look directly at the walls of the stomach, to get a biopsy

Answer 2

No there isn’t, but it would be great if there were.  The only blood tests that help with stomach cancers is if it shows if the patient is anemic as that is an indication of internal bleeding usually in the upper or lower GI or to check for tumor markers.

Tumor markers are not sensitive or specific enough to diagnose cancer and are primarily used to see if a patient is responding to treatment and to a lesser extent help determine diagnosis. The tumor markers for stomach cancer are the CEA and CA-19-9.

The only way to diagnose stomach cancer is with a biopsy.