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Advanced Blood Test to Detect & Monitor Brain Tumor

Continually reproducing cells in the brain can lead to malignant, or cancerous, brain tumors, as well as noncancerous or benign growths in the regions of the brain. In order to detect and monitor these tumors, a combination of neurological testing and scanning is done. In most cases, blood testing is not currently of value in testing for brain tumors, although there are some exceptions.

  1. Blood Testing and Cancer

    • Elements in the blood that indicate the presence of tumors in the body are known as "tumor markers." Blood testing is routinely performed for cancers such as colon cancer. Periodic screening for substances indicating the return of colon cancer are useful in monitoring patients with the disease. In the case of tumors of the brain, however, tumor markers are rarely of use, according to the American Brain Tumor Association.

    Alternatives

    • Although blood testing is not the primary mode of detecting or monitoring brain tumors, there are several other methods that neurologists use. In addition to neurological tests for detecting changes in senses and reflexes, there are advanced scanning methods that include MRIs, CT scans, PET scans, and radionuclide tests. Although these tests are more involved than a simple blood test, they help neurologists visualize tumors and monitor their status.

    Spinal Taps

    • Spinal taps involving testing cerebrospinal fluid for cells, blood and other substances is experimentally being performed in some cases.

    Pineal Brain Tumors

    • The case of pineal brain tumors differs from other types of brain tumors in regard to blood testing. Although tumor markers are not considered to be of use in most brain tumors, pineal brain tumors are a notable exception.

    Two Tumor Markers

    • Two tumor markers in the blood that have been shown to be important elements in pineal brain tumor testing are chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein. The journal Neurosurgery has published evidence of the use of such blood testing in monitoring these unique types of brain tumors.

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