Oncological diseases have become the scourge of society. Thanks to diagnostic capabilities, different types of cancer are detected. Some people are afraid of the possibility of getting cancer. This is especially true for those who have unfavorable heredity in their family. A blood test for tumor markers allows timely identification of the pathological process. It is not always clear whether it is possible to take tumor markers during menstruation - especially if you need to do it urgently.
Reasons for getting tested
The main problem in detecting malignant tumors is that in the early stages they do not give any symptoms. The effectiveness of treatment directly depends on the time of diagnosis. And the sooner it is started, the greater the chances of recovery. All women should have regular screenings . This is especially true for those ladies whose age has crossed the threshold of 40 years. The doctor may send you for tumor marker testing if unclear formations are detected in the pelvic organs.
They are also indicated for mastopathy and cysts, as they can provoke the appearance of malignant formations. If small nodules form on the uterus or ovaries, then tumor markers are necessary to monitor their growth. In general they are needed:
- for control;
- to predict the course of the disease;
- to identify dynamics;
- to determine treatment tactics.
Cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and breast cancer are common in women. This is why regular examinations and tests are so important.
Is it dangerous to be a donor during your period?
When a person first comes to donate blood at a donor point, 150-200 ml is usually taken from him. This is half the usual donor portion, which is taken from “experienced” people. The standard portion of donor blood is 400 ml plus 50 ml for blood testing.
450 ml is on average 10% of the total amount of blood in the human body.
Depending on how he feels, the donor can donate less blood, for example, 300-350 ml.
It happens that if the donor feels well and blood is taken for plasma, the volume can reach 600 ml. In emergency situations, when blood is urgently needed, up to 1 liter of blood can be taken from a donor.
Preparation for the procedure
The tumor marker test itself is a simple venous blood sample. It doesn't require any complicated preparation. It is better to collect in the morning. 8 hours before donating blood, you cannot eat any food, even dietary food, you can only drink clean water. Fatty acids and other elements from food can enter the bloodstream and affect test results.
If a woman takes certain medications every day, she should first consult a doctor, as they may distort the test results. The ideal option would be to temporarily stop taking the medication. The duration depends on the specific medication, since they are all eliminated from the body at different rates. A few hours before collection of materials, a woman should refrain from smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. Those suffering from bad habits should remember that substances contained in cigarettes and alcohol increase some indicators.
It is worth refraining from taking tumor markers after medical procedures, for example, physiotherapy, since all this affects the composition of the blood and can affect the effectiveness of the analysis.
Why it is not advisable to take a urine test
Is it possible to take tests such as stool and urine during menstruation? In the first case, research is allowed only for PCF and helminths. It is unacceptable to submit urine for analysis both during menstruation and in the next 3-4 days after it.
Even on normal days of the cycle, careful hygiene procedures are necessary immediately before urine collection.
Bacteria begin to multiply rapidly in the discharge during menstruation. And the blood itself contains components that should not be in the urine of healthy people. If the doctor is not warned about the ongoing menstruation, he will suspect a bacterial infection or other disease.
A biochemical blood test shows the condition of internal organs through monitoring metabolic processes. In most cases, a biochemical blood test has virtually no correlation with the menstrual cycle, i.e. there are no special shifts. However, this does not negate their possibility:
- total protein - a dual reaction is possible, on the one hand, along with the blood, the body loses proteins suspended in the blood plasma (decreasing the indicator), on the other hand, blood loss can lead to mild dehydration, and this will increase the concentration of total protein;
- In rare cases, albumin may rise slightly, especially if a woman does not consume enough fluid during menstruation.
With urine analysis, the following situation arises: the organoleptic properties of urine and the chemical and morphological composition will change, but only if vaginal discharge is included in the analysis. If you close the entrance to the vagina with a cotton swab or disk, then the analysis will almost certainly be no different from the analysis outside the menstrual period. If such measures are not taken, the following changes may occur in the urine analysis:
- detection of blood (red blood cells) in the urine is due to the ingress of menstrual blood, but in general, this indicates damage to the urinary canals and kidneys, an inflammatory process;
- the color of urine becomes darker, transparency decreases - outside of menstruation, this indicates an increased amount of bilirubin in the urine, which in turn indicates liver disease;
- During menstruation, the number of leukocytes in the vagina increases, which can enter the urine - outside of menstruation, a large number of leukocytes in the urine indicates genitourinary infections.
How does menstruation affect results?
Traditionally, doctors advise donating blood in the first half of the cycle after the end of menstruation. As hormone levels change, the composition of the blood also changes. This happens during menstruation and pregnancy.
But in modern realities, women are not always able to adjust their test schedule to their menstrual cycle. But can they influence the result? Many body parameters change unnoticed by humans. Therefore, it is not recommended to take tests during menstruation: urine, general blood test, biochemical analysis and the like. An observant person will notice that if you do pass them, the indicators will be at the lower limit of the norm.
This also applies to tumor markers. This is a non-specific study. During menstruation, the body experiences:
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- endometriosis is activated;
- hormone levels change;
- blood counts change.
During pregnancy, all tumor markers will have increased results. The analysis is often done for preventive purposes, and therefore there is no need to rush into taking it. It is better to wait until your period ends and avoid getting unreliable results.
What happens to blood during menstruation
Menstruation is a steadily recurring bleeding from the uterus, conventionally called a cycle. On average it lasts 28 days. This period is accompanied by rhythmic changes both in the hormonal system and in the entire woman’s body - preparation for pregnancy is underway. The entire cycle is divided into 4 phases:
- I – menstrual (from 1 to 5 days);
- II – follicular (6-13 days);
- III – ovulation (day 14);
- IV – luteal (16-28 days).
During phase I, the process of rejection of the endometrium, represented by soft tissue and blood vessels, occurs in the uterus. It comes out through the vagina as menstrual fluid.
During the follicular phase, the hypothalamus triggers a hormonal chain reaction to form the follicle and mature the egg. Each of the synthesized hormones affects blood components, namely:
- The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), an indicator of inflammation in the body, increases.
- The number of platelets and blood clotting factors is reduced - reducing the viscosity of the biofluid to prevent blood clotting.
- Decreased white blood cell count due to decreased immunity.
- A decrease in the amount of hemoglobin and red blood cells due to excessive blood loss.
- Distorted hormone levels.
- Reducing the amount of plasma.
Note!
All these changes are considered normal during menstruation, but a general analysis may show erythrocytosis, leukocytosis and thrombocytosis. It is also undesirable to donate blood for biochemical analysis during this period, because it coagulates quickly and most reactions will not work.
It is important to notify the prescribing physician of the onset of menstruation. It will allow for the possibility of a false positive result.
Useful tips
Tumor markers are made in many laboratories. How quickly the results will be ready depends on the level of the clinic. With good equipment, it will be ready in a day. In municipal institutions, the process can take up to two weeks.
Blood tests can take a long time to complete due to the fact that small laboratories send the collected material to large branches, and all this takes time. In a big city, tumor markers are usually carried out in 2-5 days.
Tumor markers are provided free of charge under the compulsory medical insurance policy. In private clinics, prices depend on how many tumor markers are examined. On average, the price for analysis is from 500 rubles.
For healthy people who are not burdened by heredity, it is enough to take tumor markers once every two years. Women over 40 years old - every year, this also applies to men. After cancer treatment, tumor markers are checked every 3 months for the first year . If there are sick relatives, tests are carried out once a year.
Oncology is treatable, it is important to catch the disease in the early stages of development. To do this, it is necessary to carry out timely diagnosis. But also don’t forget about self-examination.
Analysis results that are considered normal
Test results
A general blood test during menstruation will provide the following indicators:
- leukocytes, their usual number (from 3.5 to 10,000 per 1 ml of blood) can be changed; when the number increases, the presence of an infectious or inflammatory process in the body can be suspected;
- red blood cells (normal range from 3.8 to 5,800,000 per 1 ml), an increase in their number indicates a dysfunction of the cardiovascular system, poisoning or dehydration of the body, a decrease indicates constant blood loss, hemolysis of red blood cells, pregnancy or an increase in the amount of salts in the body ;
- hemoglobin (normal range from 120 to 160 g/l), which will be reduced during menstrual blood loss, but with a significant decrease you need to think about anemia, and if it increases, about problems with the blood coagulation process and even chronic leukemia;
- color indicator (its normal result is considered to be from 0.85 to 1.05), exceeding this figure will indicate hemoglobin synthesis or a decrease in the size of red blood cells, and a decrease below the permissible norm will indicate the development of pathological processes in the body such as macrocytosis, folate deficiency anemia, vitamin B12 deficiency;
- hematocrit (normal range is 35 to 45%).
Interpretation of a general blood test
In the absence of pathologies, a person has the following indicators:
- leukocytes – 4–9;
- hemoglobin – 120–140 g/l;
- red blood cells – 3.8-4.8 million/1 ml;
- hematocrit – 35–45%;
- color index – 0.8-1;
- platelets – 180–320;
- glucose – 3.5–6.5 mmol;
- protein – 60–80 g/l;
- creatinine – 0.18 mmol/l;
- bilirubin – 20.5 mmol/l.
All questions regarding this type of diagnosis should be asked to your doctor. The specialist will explain whether it is possible to take a blood test during your period. And also, under what circumstances and why this type of diagnosis is contraindicated.
