Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

Why does the doctor always order basic blood and urine tests for cancer?  These simple tests, sometimes called CBC ( complete blood count ), SMA 12 ( serum factors ), and UA (urine analysis), give the doctor a great deal of basic information about your general health problems. They can usually be done in the doctor's office. What does the complete blood count consist of?  The technician takes whole blood from your vein as well as a blood smear from your finger and uses the samples to check the hemoglobin , white blood cell count, and complete red and white cells in the blood and the platelets. The hematocrit test requires that the blood be spun in a centrifuge and measures (usually on an automatic counting machine with computer printout) the volume of red cells as a percent of the total volume. This test can help detect if anemia is present, though it cannot identify the type of anemia. The hemoglobin test measures the number of grams of red cell pigment in 100 cubic cen...

What is an electrocardiogram?  An electrocardiogram, or ECG (E = electro, C = cardio or heart, G = gram as in writing think of grammar), measures the electrical activity of the heart. Electrodes are attached to your chest, wrists, and ankles, and the electrical signals they measure are recorded on paper or on a computer screen. Abnormalities in the pattern of waves can be interpreted by your physician as possible signs of heart disease. The most common type of ECG is called a resting ECG, because it is performed while you are lying down. This test is often part of a routine physical exam, but is not very revealing unless you have major damage to your heart. Much more revealing is the exercise ECG, done while you walk or run on a treadmill with the electrodes attached to your chest. This is also called a stress ECG, as it tests your heart during the stress of physical activity. A stress ECG reveals damage to the heart caused by a narrowing of the arteries, which prevents suffic...