What is a CBC Test?
Learn about what a CBC test is and how the test can be used to help diagnose and monitor the progress of different types of cancer.
Written By:
Matthew Romeo
A complete blood count test (CBC) is a blood test used to help monitor your overall health. In some instances, CBC tests are also used to help diagnose and track certain forms of cancer, likeleukemiaandHodgkin’sornon-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
A complete blood count test measures:
In this post, we look more into a CBC test, including how it is taken, what your results mean, and how it helps diagnose and monitor different forms of cancer and treatment.
When you receive your CBC test results, you often receive a report with a bunch of abbreviations and numbers that don’t make sense to the average person; however, once you understand what the abbreviations mean.
In a complete blood count, you’re getting a bunch of information. There are three main types of blood cells that we’re looking for.
White blood cells are your body’s primary defense mechanism. They help remove foreign materials and cellular debris, destroy infectious agents and cancer cells, and help produce antibodies.
A CBC test to aid cancer treatment typically provides the results of two white blood count measurements:
Red blood cells perform the essential function of delivering oxygen from your lungs to other parts of your body, along with transporting waste like carbon dioxide out of the body.
A typical CBC test provides results for 4 different types of red blood cell measurements:
Platelets play an important part in forming blood clots to stop you from bleeding. The only measurement a CBC test provides for platelets is the total number of platelets in your blood sample.
Now that you know what each test measures, you may wonder, what are the average measurements for each test? When you receive your blood test results, the test usually provides the value you got, the reference range, and if your results fall within that range.
According to theAmerican Cancer Society, the normal CBC test results are:
If your counts fall outside the normal range, it doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is wrong or you have cancer. However, your doctor will probably investigate further if you receive an abnormal result.
I get really cranky and crabby. Sometimes I’ll go to my primary care doctor to do a CBC just so I can see, “Okay, this is good. No surprises.” It makes me feel better, and he’s more than happy to do it.
Specific forms of cancers can be detected as part of a CBC result. However, it’s important to note that a CBC test is only one tool when diagnosing cancer. Just because you have abnormal CBC test results does not necessarily mean you have cancer.
The different types of cancers that a CBC test can detect include:
It’s important to remember that a CBC test is not the only diagnostic tool or blood test used to diagnose cancer. Therefore, a diagnosis cannot be made solely based on the results of a CBC test.
One of the things I didn’t know until I spoke to my doctor is that he asked me to always let him know when we did CBCs if I had exercised before or a day before. In many cases, exercise increases your white cell counts.
Cancer treatment can impact your CBC test results. Some care teams may use a CBC test to track how treatment may affect you. The forms of treatment that can impact your CBC test results include:
While these are just the general forms of treatment that may impact your CBC test results, cancer-specific treatments and drugs may also affect your results.
You may not even notice, but a CBC test is typically part of the routine blood work you get for your annual physical. The test is taken by simply withdrawing a small vial of blood to be tested in a lab.
Due to its ease and accessibility, the CBC test is a great way to continuously screen for cancer.
Visit ournavigating cancer pageif you want to learn more about CBC tests or cancer in general. There you will find resources from dealing with a cancer diagnosis to information about the latest treatments.
I just had a CBC result with high IGm, high IGa, and high iGg. red and white blood cell counts areboth low. I had the cbc a week after dental imlant surgery and a back fracture. Could the latter have caused the spike in Igm, igg, and igA? Liver, kidney, and other counts were normal. Could I have multiple myoloma?
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Originally published on The Patient Story: https://thepatientstory.com/cancers/faq/cbc-test/
