Cancer Screening

Detect cancer early, when it’s the most treatable.

Screening tests are used to check for certain types of cancer in your body, even when you don’t have visible symptoms.

A screening can be as simple as a blood test or X-ray, or it can require a minimally invasive procedure, such as a Pap test or colonoscopy. The key is to talk with your primary care doctor and know when to get screened.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society recommend these types of cancer screenings, depending on your family history.

Breast Cancer

All women should have a breast cancer risk assessment by age 25 by a primary care provider or gynecologist.
Starting at age 25, have a clinical breast exam every one to three years.
Starting at age 40, women who are average risk should have a mammogram every year at a breast imaging center.
Women who are at high-risk qualify for a breast MRI. This may start as early as age 25 for some women and always by age 40.
See your health care provider if you notice changes with your breasts.

Cervical Cancer

All women between the ages of 21 and 30 should have a Pap test every three years.
Beginning at age 30, women are encouraged to add the HPV test every five years.
After age 65, you may discontinue screening unless you are at high risk for developing the disease.

Colon/Rectal Cancer

Colon screenings should begin at age 45 for people at average risk. Your care provider may recommend you begin screenings earlier if you have a family history of cancer.

There are different tests available to screen for colon cancer. You should talk to your doctor about which test is right for you.

Resources

Lung Cancer

You qualify for lung cancer screening when you meet all of the following criteria:

You are between the ages of 50 and 77.
You smoke or have quit smoking within the last 15 years.
You have at least a 20 pack-year history of smoking.

Low-dose CT screenings will be done annually for as long as the patient qualifies in the Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Prostate Cancer

There are two tests to check men for prostate cancer.

For the digital rectal exam, a doctor will physically feel the prostate and determine if anything is abnormal.
The PSA blood test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your blood.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men be screened for prostate cancer beginning at age 50. African American men should begin screening at age 45, as they are at higher risk for developing prostate cancer.

Check with your doctor on the screening best for you. Your doctor will explain that certain medical conditions, such as an inflamed or enlarged prostate, can lead to false positive test results. Our specialists recommend that you have the digital rectal exam annually and will use the PSA test accordingly.

Other Cancers

You can be screened for other cancers, too.

Other cancer tests can be used if you have a family history or are at high risk. They can screen for indications of esophageal, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers.