Tests To Find Out How Well Organs Are Working

What is an audiology test for childhood cancer?

Some cancer drugs can affect hearing. If your child is receiving these drugs, they may need baseline hearing tests (audiology) and regular hearing testing during treatment.

What is an echocardiogram (ECHO) test for childhood cancer?

Some chemotherapy drugs can affect heart function. If your child is having one of these drugs, the oncology team will ask for an echocardiogram to check heart function.

Echocardiograms test the strength and function of the heart by using an ultrasound machine.  The doctor or radiographer will put a clear jelly on your child's chest and then move a small round probe (transducer) around on their chest. This probe sends sound waves to the heart, and the returning sound waves create a picture of the heart.

What is an electrocardiogram (ECG) test for childhood cancer?

An electrocardiogram measures the rhythm of the heart. Your child will have small stickers, called leads, on their chest and possibly their arms and legs. The leads connect to a monitor that measures the heart rhythm. Some tamariki (children) need to use a portable device called a Holter monitor. This measures their heart rhythm over several hours or a day. The Holter monitor sits in a pouch that your child can wear.

What is a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) test for childhood cancer?

Some drugs can affect kidney function. Your child's medical team will regularly check your child's kidney function during their treatment.

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) test looks at how well the kidneys are working.  A technician or nurse will put a special substance, called a tracer, into your child's vein. Follow-up tests show how quickly the tracer passes through the kidneys and out of the body.

What is a lung (pulmonary) function test for childhood cancer?

Lung function tests measure how well the lungs are working. The test measures how much air the lungs can hold and how well your child can push air out of their lungs. Your child will blow into a plastic mouthpiece connected to a machine. The machine measures the amount of air your child breathes in, and the force of the air they breathe in and out. Your child will probably need to repeat the test a few times to get an accurate reading.

What is a creatinine clearance test for childhood cancer?

A creatinine clearance test is a way to measure how well the kidneys are working. Creatinine is a protein that is in blood and wee (urine). The amounts of creatinine in both the blood and wee show how well the kidneys are functioning. 

You will collect your child's wee in a container for 12 to 24 hours. You will need to collect the wee every time your child goes to the bathroom. The amount of wee you collect needs to be accurate. The wee is sent to the lab to check the creatinine levels. Staff at the laboratory will also test creatinine levels in your child's blood.

What is a urinalysis test for childhood cancer?

A urinalysis tests the wee to see if it contains things that should not be there.  Your child will need to do a small amount of wee into a cup. This will go to the laboratory for testing. Staff at the laboratory will count the number of white and red blood cells and test for protein, bacteria, and sugar in the wee.

Read more about childhood cancer tests

Read more about childhood cancer