Does a blood test pick up on cancer

[Youmakemehappywhenskiesaregrey]

My ds (8) has been poorly for nearly four weeks. Started as a virus, high temperature, cough etc. Then started complaining of hip pain. He now is having regular pains in his shoulder, back, foot. He is also notably less active. He is though having bursts of energy where he is very active. A couple weeks ago he had severe tummy pain and we took him to A&E they said he was constipated and lymph glands were up in his groin. They didn’t seem concerned by the pain as it wasn’t too bad that day but said when he had seen a GP for painful hip about seven weeks ago he might have had irritable hip then. When they checked his hip they said his movement was normal. They did blood test and urine test which they said were normal. Something isn’t right and I’m worried sick. I am going to take him back to GP and ask for further tests as this has gone on for ages now.

Just to clarify he had written bone lesion under differential diagnosis on X-ray request form. I think he is concerned about hip pain as asked about night sweats, weight loss and abnormal bruising.

My daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia nearly 9 years ago when she was four. The blood count did not give any cause for concern, and initially we were discharged. However, later that day we were recalled as the blood film had been looked at. The blood film showed blast cells which are a diagnostic factor in leukaemia

Do they always check the blood film? Hope your daughter is okay now.

I'm really not sure. I do know that in my daughter's case, it wasn't looked at at the same time as the blood count. I had the feeling it was done as an after thought. Prior to discharging us after the normal blood count, we were told she probably had irritable hip, on top of her pre existing hypermobility. She's 13 now and fine thank you.

Was it her painful hip which led to concerns or other symptoms?

My daughter has (hopefully!) just had her last cycle of chemo and should do well. I know what you mean - we are all terrified of bad things happening to our children. GP sounds as though they are taking you seriously though. Hang on in there.

Yes I feel they are taking things seriously, the GP was concerned and I did feel listened to. I’m sorry you have been going through cancer with your daughter chinapot. It’s so sad how many lives are affected by childhood cancer.
Im terrified today. I need to stay away from google. He looks relatively well today, eating well and I’ve weighed him and he doesn’t seem to have lost weight. I think he seems less tired as well. When he is distracted today he seems fine but if I ask him he says tummy/hip area still hurting, and hands and feet burning and legs and arms aching. He has never been one to moan about illness so when he says he is in pain it worries me but I think some of the pain has reduced.
He had blood test and X-ray on Friday so I’m hoping if anything had been seriously wrong we would have been contacted but probably doesn’t work like that especially at a weekend. I’m hoping we will hear back tomorrow but might be few more days. I feel like even if blood tests are normal we still won’t know why he has had pain and swollen lymph nodes for four weeks. I just feel like this is going to go on for ages working out why he is unwell.
Doctor did suggest could be vitamin d deficiency which I reckon it could be, so hoping something relatively straight forward like that.
I’ve never known my anxiety to be like it is, I just want him to be ok.

When my daughter had an MRI showing a mass we were called the same evening if that’s any comfort

And that was a Friday too. Several more phone calls from paeds over the weekend trying to sort out what to do.

It does help thank you. Yes I guess if X-ray showed an obvious serious problem on Friday morning they hopefully would have contacted us. I guess just got to wait. The waiting is the hardest as ur brain goes to all sorts of dark places, it might end up been something we never even considered.
Ive been through all this with my mum, she had cancer when I was teenager and died when my children were little. It was the same then, the waiting was awful and I used to catastrophise. Truth is I don’t have control of this situation apart from trying to push for answers.

Just bit of an update. X-ray was normal said checked for Perthes disease and no evidence of this and nothing else found. Blood results normal apart from vitamin d on slightly low end (47). Advised to start vitamin d supplement and come back to GP in a month if still problems.
I feel relieved but not sure if vitamin d of that score which he said is on low end of normal would cause his symptoms. I think I’m going to start vitamin d today and see how he goes, if he starts to improve great but if any worries/worsening pain will take him back sooner.

Glad to hear all ok so far. 🤞🏻for vitamin D helping

Just want to return to update this thread in case anyone sees this in the future. My son is thankfully doing great which is such a relief. He has been on vitamin d and he is no longer reporting any bone pain. His energy is so much better. I think he probably had a mixture of low vitamin d, constipation and a very nasty virus as he was getting spikes in temperature, was so tired, and coughing loads and he was poorly for over two months.