Cancer Screenings for Everyone!

We know you'd probably rather have ice cream for everyone. Or, a half-day off on Fridays. But today we're going to tell you how important it is to do the work on your end to prevent cancer, or at least detect it in early stages. The earlier it's diagnosed, the better the chance for survival.

For people having periodic health examinations, a cancer related checkup, beginning at age 20, should include health counseling and, depending on a person's age, might include examinations for cancers of the thyroid, oral cavity, skin, lymph nodes, and ovaries or testes as well as for some non-malignant diseases. Cancer Screening Guidelines are recommended by the American Cancer Society as outlined:

Colorectal Cancer Screening

Beginning at age 50, both men and women at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should use one of the screening tests below. The tests that are designed to find both early cancer and polyps are preferred if these tests are available to you. Talk to your doctor about which test is best for you.

• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*
• Colonoscopy every 10 years
• Double contrast barium enema every 5 years*
• CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*
• Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every year*,**
• Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year*,**
• Stool DNA test (sDNA) interval uncertain*

*Colonoscopy should be done if test results are positive.
**For FOBT or FIT used as a screening test, the take-home multiple sample method should be used. A FOBT or FIT done during a digital rectal exam in the doctor's office is not adequate for screening.

Breast Cancer Screening

Age 20-39:
Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) by a healthcare professional every three years.
Breast Self-Exam (BSE) monthly. 

Age 40 and Over:
Yearly Mammogram and Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) by a healthcare professional, near the time of the mammogram.
Report any breast changes to your doctor or nurse.

Women at High Risk:
Talk with your doctor about starting earlier, and about the possible benefit of breast MRI or ultrasound in addition to mammograms and CBE.

Cervical Cancer Screening:

Yearly PAP test to begin about 3 years after you first have sex, or by age 21, whichever is earlier.
PAP test should be done annually.

Skin Cancer Screening:
Become familiar with any moles, freckles or other spots on your skin. Use mirrors or have a family member or close friend look at areas you can't see (ears, scalp, lower back).
Check on skin changes once a month.
Show any suspicious or changing areas to your doctor.
Have a healthcare professional perform a skin cancer screening every three years for ages 20-39 and every year for ages 40 and over.

Prostate Cancer Screening:
Men with an average risk of prostate cancer should be offered prostate screening tests - the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and the digital rectal exam (DRE) - beginning at age 50.
    For men with a higher than average risk of prostate cancer, screening is recommended starting at age 45. This includes African-American men and men with at least one first-degree relative with prostate cancer that was diganosed before age 65. (First-degree relatives include fathers, brothers, and sons.)
    For men with markedly higher risk of prostate cancer, screening is recommended starting at age 40. "Markedly higher risk" means that several first-degree relatives were diagnosed with prostate cancer early in life.

These cancer screening guildelines are recommended by the American Cancer Society for those people at average risk for cancer (unless otherwise specified) and without any specific symptoms.

For more information, call Sandy Prince, Certified Health Education Specialist, at 479-361-5847.