Medical Tests & Procedures Archive

Most people don't need to fast before a lipid test because the difference between LDL cholesterol values when fasting or not fasting is very small. But people who have had high triglyceride levels should fast prior to the test.

After a heart attack or stent placement, people typically take a combination of aspirin and another antiplatelet drug. After one year, the new standard practice is to stop the aspirin, in contrast to the previous practice of stopping the other drug.

Roughly one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives, but these cancers usually aren't life-threatening. The least risky form of the disease occurs frequently with age, will not metastasize to other parts of the body, and it doesn't require any immediate treatment. So, should it even be called cancer?

Researchers are developing tools for predicting how fast prostate cancer might progress; among the most promising are those that count circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in blood samples. Research shows that high CTC counts predict poorer survival and faster disease progression. But they are also predictive for early-stage metastatic prostate cancer that still responds to hormonal therapy.

In a 2024 study, transperineal prostate biopsies were less likely to cause infections than traditional transrectal biopsies. Transperineal biopsies retrieve tissue samples using a thin needle inserted through the skin between the scrotum and rectum.

Pap tests, the mainstay screening method to detect cervical cancer, are uncomfortable for some women. In mid-2024, the FDA approved a new self-swab test that can detect human papillomavirus, which causes most cases of cervical cancer. The self-swab test collects cells from the vaginal wall instead of the cervix. Clinicians guide women on how to perform the test in a doctor's office. The self-swab method offers women several benefits, including comfort, accuracy, and potentially greater access to screening.

Abnormal results on a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening test for cancer are typically followed by a systematic biopsy. But systematic biopsies can be problematic, and researchers are seeking alternatives. A large European study provides encouraging evidence favoring a different approach that uses MRI instead of biopsy.

In 2024, the FDA approved a blood test called Shield as a screening method for colorectal cancer. The test detects 83% of colorectal cancers, but only 13% of precancerous polyps. The FDA approval means that now many insurance plans will pay for the test.

Men with high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels often get a biopsy of prostate tissue to check for cancer. The results of the biopsy are calculated to create a Gleason score, which helps doctors assess whether the cancer is low-, medium-, or high-risk. Based on that information, doctors may recommend that a man follow active surveillance (in which he monitors his PSA for changes) or begin cancer treatment.

A study published in JAMA in July 2024 found that a blood test was accurate in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, which causes steep declines in cognition and other aspects of health. The blood test is able to detect elevated blood levels of brain proteins that characterize the condition. While that's progress, doctors say it's not the test needed most. It would be more beneficial, they say, to have a test that accurately spots the developing disease long before it affects thinking. No such tests are here yet, but scientists are working to develop them.