Blood tests have come a long way over the past decade. There are now what are called liquid biopsies which picks up genetic material shed by cancer tumors into the blood. This allows doctors to avoid invasive procedures where they have to go in and actually do surgery and cut off a piece of the suspected tissue. The liquid biopsies are also useful for sampling hard-to-reach tumors that are deeply embedded in internal organs. For now, the blood tests are not used to screen for cancers in healthy people but to guide treatments for those who have already been diagnosed. Someday, however, they may replace biopsies for a number of types of potential cancers. Speak to one of the oncologists at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula to get more information.
