Question

Which test helps in the diagnosis of cancer?

• A. X-ray
• B. Urine test
• C. Blood test
• D. Biopsy

Hint:

A biopsy examines actual tissue cells under a microscope, making it the confirmatory test for cancer.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understand what a definitive cancer diagnosis needs.
Cancer is confirmed only when doctors can see abnormal cells directly under a microscope and check whether they are malignant. This means the test that diagnoses cancer must give a sample of the actual tissue, not just an image or a general chemical reading.

Step 2: Recall what a biopsy is.
A biopsy is a procedure where a small piece of tissue or a group of cells is removed from the suspected area of the body and sent to a laboratory. A pathologist examines the sample under a microscope to check the shape, growth pattern, and behaviour of the cells. Because this is the only test that lets a doctor look directly at the tumour cells, biopsy is the confirmatory, gold standard test for diagnosing cancer.

Step 3: Check why the other tests fall short.
An X-ray uses radiation to form an image of dense structures like bone, and can only show a lump or shadow, not the actual cell type, so it cannot confirm cancer on its own.
A urine test checks for chemical substances or blood in urine and is mainly useful for kidney or bladder problems, not for confirming a tumour is cancerous.
A blood test can pick up general markers, such as raised tumour marker levels, that hint cancer might be present, but a raised marker can also happen in non-cancerous conditions, so a blood test alone cannot confirm the diagnosis.

Step 4: Final answer.
Only a biopsy examines the actual cells directly and can confirm whether a growth is cancerous.
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