Eglė Marciuškienė, a laboratory medicine doctor at the healthcare network “Antėja,” says in a press release that there are more than 200 different types of cancer that can cause various symptoms.
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“They can vary for each person, and some individuals do not feel any symptoms at all. If unusual changes in the body that do not go away are noticed, it is necessary to see a doctor. Early diagnosis increases the likelihood that treatment will be successful,” says E. Marciuškienė.
Certain symptoms are characteristic of many types of cancer, such as fatigue, weight changes, or unexplained pain lasting more than four weeks. According to the doctor, it is important to monitor skin changes – yellowing, darkening, redness, non-healing sores, or changing moles, as they can also be important signals.
Often, the first signs of cancer manifest as changes in bowel or bladder habits, persistent cough, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, or hoarseness. Discomfort after eating, constant unexplained muscle or joint pain, prolonged fever, or night sweats can also be important signals, warns the doctor.
Can genes determine a cancer diagnosis?
Up to 80 percent of malignant diseases are sporadic and random, but some develop due to genetic predisposition – inherited genetic changes and adverse environmental factors.
Geneticist Dr. Jūratė Gruodė explains that genetic consultation, genealogy analysis, and genetic testing help assess hereditary predisposition to oncological diseases, create a testing plan, and ensure further monitoring. The doctor adds that BRCA1 and BRCA2 are among the best-known genes associated with increased cancer risk. A mutated version of these genes significantly increases a woman’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer and also increases men’s risk of breast and prostate cancer. If a person has a high-risk cancer gene variant, there is a 50 percent chance that the change can be passed on to children.
However, BRCA genes are not the only ones associated with cancer risk. Recent scientific studies have revealed more than 100 other genetic variants that can increase the risk of breast, prostate, ovarian, and other cancers.
“One of the areas of work for a geneticist is conducting genetic tests and assessing a patient’s predisposition to malignant diseases. It is important that test results are analyzed in conjunction with other clinical and instrumental tests, taking into account the family members’ and relatives’ medical history – genealogical anamnesis. Based on the obtained data, a plan for preventive check-ups and further actions is created to prevent the disease or diagnose it as early as possible,” says J. Gruodė.
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Important preventive tests
As laboratory medicine doctor E. Marciuškienė explains, four cancer prevention programs are currently being implemented in Lithuania: cervical, breast, prostate, and colorectal. Their goal is to detect the disease early and provide patients with the most effective treatment possible.
“Cancer screening programs are intended for people who do not feel any symptoms but may have an increased risk because sometimes the disease is detected before symptoms appear. Early diagnosis not only helps start treatment on time but in some cases can even prevent cancer development,” says the doctor.
These tests can be performed in various ways. One method is examination and medical history analysis, where general health signs are checked, possible changes such as lumps or other unusual formations are sought, and the patient’s harmful habits and previous illnesses are evaluated. Another form of screening is laboratory tests, during which samples of tissues, blood, urine, or other body substances are examined.
Genetic tests are also performed, analyzing cells or tissues to detect gene or chromosome changes. These tests can help determine whether a person has a certain disease or has a higher risk of developing it.
“Screening tests are not directly intended to diagnose cancer, but if their results show certain changes, additional tests are necessary to confirm or rule out a cancer diagnosis. For example, during mammography screening, a lump in the breast may be detected, but it is not necessarily cancerous. Only detailed tests can help determine whether the lump is malignant,” explains E. Marciuškienė.
Therefore, in such cases, diagnostic tests are performed, such as biopsy – a procedure in which cell or tissue samples are taken so that a pathologist can examine them under a microscope and determine whether there are signs of cancer. Laboratory tests (blood, urine, stool, other body fluids, cell or tissue analyses), imaging (ultrasound, X-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging), endoscopic, and other tests may also be applied.
“Alongside clinical and imaging tests, laboratory diagnostics is rapidly advancing – new biochemical, immunological, and genetic markers are constantly being discovered. One of the greatest advances is tumor screening tests from blood, allowing the detection of specific cancer DNA markers, such as circulating tumor DNA,” adds geneticist Dr. Jūratė Gruodė.
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