Common Medical
Procedures
Information
source - National Cancer Institute
Medical tests and procedures are not only used
to diagnose cancer, but also to see how well the treatment is working and to
make sure that the treatment is causing as little damage to normal cells as
possible. Many of these tests will be repeated from time to time throughout
treatment.
Parents and children say that knowing about the
tests before they are done helps them to cope. You may want to ask your doctor
these questions before any testing is done:
- Which tests will my child have? What will my
child need to have this test? An IV? An oral contrast?
- Where and how is each test done?
- Will the tests be painful? If so, what can
be done to make my child more relaxed and in less pain?
- Who will do the tests? Has the staff doing
the testing worked with children?
- What information does the doctor expect to
get from the tests?
- How soon will the results be known? What do
the results mean?
- Will the tests be covered by insurance?
Some of these tests are painful; most are not.
For some tests, your child may need to remain still for as long as an hour. Ask
your doctor what you and the treatment team can do to help your child become
more comfortable during the tests. For procedures that require your child to
remain very still, medicines can be given to help your child relax or become
sleepy. For tests that can be painful, such as the bone
marrow aspiration test and spinal tap, pain
medicines are often given. Sometimes a general anesthetic, a drug that causes
your child to lose consciousness and all feeling, is given.
Relaxation therapy
(methods used to make one feel more relaxed and to feel less pain),guided imagery (using the imagination to create
mental pictures), hypnosis (a trance-like state
that can be brought on by a person trained in a special technique), music, and
other techniques can also help to ease your child's discomfort and fear. When
your child is relaxed, the procedures are less painful. Ask your treatment team
to help you guide your child through relaxation exercises both before and during
the procedures. Often a combination of pain medicine and relaxation techniques
is used.
Your child will want to be with you during the
procedures, and in most situations, that is possible. The following chart
provides information about some common medical procedures your child may have.
Biopsy
| Procedure/Test |
Purpose |
What is Done |
| |
|
General |
A biopsy determines
if a tumor is not cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). If the
biopsy is "positive," cancer is present. If it is "negative," cancer
cells were not seen. |
A doctor removes
part or all of the tumor or part of the bone marrow. A pathologist, a
doctor who specializes in recognizing changes caused by disease in
humans, looks at the tissue under a microscope. |
| Bone
marrow aspiration or bone marrow biopsy |
This type of biopsy
examines the bone marrow under a microscope to see if leukemia is
present or if the treatment is working. For other cancers, this test
tells whether the disease has spread to the bone marrow. |
For young people, a
bone marrow test is most often done in the hip bone. The child lies on
his or her stomach with a pillow under the hips. A needle is put through
the skin and into the middle of the hipbone, and a small sample of
marrow is quickly drawn into the syringe. The most painful part of the
test lasts for a few seconds. | |
Blood Studies
| Procedure/Test |
Purpose |
What is Done |
| |
| Tumor
markers |
This type of test
searches for substances that may increase in the blood of a person with
cancer. It can help to diagnose cancer and to find out how well the
child is responding to treatment. |
A sample of blood is
usually obtained through a needle inserted in a vein or by pricking the
tip of the finger and sqeezing out a few drops of blood. Sometimes blood
is obtained via tubes (catheters) that have been surgically placed
through the chest and into one of the major blood vessels leading to the
heart. |
|
Complete Blood Count (CBC) |
A CBC test checks
the white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet count in a
sample blood. |
See above. |
| White
blood cell (WBC) count |
A WBC count measures
the number of WBCs in the blood and is also used to find certain types
of immature cells - called blast cells - typical of leukemia. WBCs
protect the body from infection. Chemotherapy and other treatments can
lower the number of WBCs, increasing the risk of infection. If the test
reveals a low WBC count, treatment may need to be delayed until the
count goes up. |
See above. |
|
Hemoglobin |
Hemoglobin is the
substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen to the body's tissues.
Low hemoglobin indicates anemia. Anemia can cause your child to look
pale and feel weak and tired. It may be a side effect of chemotherapy or
a sign that the cancer has returned. |
See above. |
|
Hematocrit |
Hematocrit
determines the size, function, and number of red blood cells. A low
hematocrit also may mean that anemia is present. |
See above. |
|
Neutrophils (also called ANC-absolute neutrophil count) |
This blood study
tests for the body's ability to fight bacterial infections. |
See above. |
|
Platelet count |
This test measures
the number of platelets. Platelets help the blood clot. A low platelet
count, which may be due to side effects of medicine or to infection, or
may mean that leukemia is present, could cause one to bleed or bruise
easily. |
See above. | |
Lumbar Puncture
| Procedure/Test |
Purpose |
What is Done |
| |
|
Lumbar puncture or spinal tap |
This test obtains a
sample of spinal fluid - the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal
cord. The doctor looks at the fluid under the microscope to see if any
infection or cancer cells are present. It is also used to give
anticancer drugs directly to the brain and spinal cord. |
The child, in a
curled position, lies on one side or sits. A needle is inserted between
the small bones of the spine into the fluid space around the spinal
cord. A sample of the spinal fluid is taken. This test can be somewhat
painful. | |
Imaging Tests
| Procedure/Test |
Purpose |
What is Done |
| |
|
General |
Imaging tests take
pictures of images of areas inside the body to see what is happening. |
Tests are generally
not painful, but the equipment may be frightening to children. Some
machines, such as MRIs, make very loud noises. |
|
Angiograms |
An angiogram obtains
an x-ray of the blood vessels and shows changes in the blood vessels and
in nearby organs. Clogged blood vessels or blood vessels that have moved
may mean that a tumor is present. |
A special dye is
injected into an artery and travels through the blood vessles. Then a
series of x-rays is taken. The dye makes the blood vessels show up on an
x-ray. |
|
Ultrasound |
Ultrasound obtains a
picture of part of the body by using sound waves. The waves echo or
bounce off tissues and organs, making pictures called sonograms. Tumors
have different echoes than normal tissues, making it possible to "see"
abnormal growths. |
A small hand-held
device called a transducer is used to send the sound waves to a site in
the body. The transducer is rubbed firmly back and forth over the site
after the skin has been lubricated with a special gel. |
|
Radioisotope scanning |
This test studies
the liver, brain, bones, kidneys, and other organs of the body. |
The child either
swallows or has an injection of a mild, radioactive material that is not
harmful. After a short wait, a scanning device is passed over the body
to detect where the radioactive material collects in the body and allows
the doctor to locate tumors. Your child will not be radioactive during
or after these tests. |
| CT
scan (computerized tomography scan) or CAT scan |
This test obtains a
three-dimensional picture of organs and tissues; ordinary x-rays give a
two-dimensional view. Using pencil-like x-ray beams to scan parts of the
body, a CT also gives better pictures of soft tissues than does an
x-ray. It provides precise and very useful details about the location,
size, and type of tumor. |
While the child lies
still, a large machine moves back and forth, taking pictures.
The scan takes 30-90 minutes. Sometimes a special dye is injected into a
vein before the scan.
If your child has a central venous line in the chest, it generally
cannot be used during a CT scan of the chest. It is important to prepare
your child for an IV in the hand. |
| MRI
(magnetic resonance imaging) |
An MRI creates
pictures of areas inside the body that cannot be seen using other
imaging methods. MRI uses a strong magnet linked to a computer. Because
an MRI can see through the bone, it can provide clearer pictures of
tumors located near the bone. |
The child lies on a
flat surface, which is pushed into a long, round chamber. Your child
will hear a loud thumping noise, followed by other rhythmic beats. The
test takes 15-90 minutes, during which your child must lie still.
Sometimes a special dye is injected into a vein before the test. | |
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Information
source - National Cancer Institute
|
