Case for Screening
Which Cancer Tests You Need and Why You Need Them

A Message From Saint Alphonsus Medical Center

Cancer. The big "C." It's a disease we all dread and hope never to get. While there are no surefire ways to completely avoid the disease – everyone is at risk, some more than others – you can take a very important step toward minimizing your risk of developing advanced cancer.

How? By getting screened on a regular basis. Screening tests can discover many cancers in their beginning stages. Finding the disease early often allows for more effective treatment. "Most cancers do better if you detect and treat them early," says Karl Schultheiss, Medical Oncologist at Saint Alphonsus Cancer Care Center. "It is imperative that we all follow the recommended screening guidelines. Finding cancer early can also mean more treatment options, such as breast-sparing procedures, that aren't available for advanced forms of the disease," Dr. Schultheiss adds. Another bonus to screening: Some tests can detect precancerous changes that, once treated, stop the disease before it even starts.

"Even with regular screening, some cancers are missed or false alarms are raised. Even with these limitations, however, the tests continue to save lives and are well worth taking," says
Dr. Schultheiss.

What follows is a roundup of common cancers and the screening recommendations for each one.

Breast Cancer

To help find breast cancer early, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends:

Yearly mammograms – Women need these x-ray pictures of the breast that can spot a lump before you can feel it. Higher-risk women, such as those with a family history of breast cancer, may need more frequent mammograms.

Clinical breast exams – A doctor examines the breasts for lumps or other changes.

Breast self-exams – Women may also choose to check their own breasts for lumps or other changes. Any changes should be reported to a doctor.

Colorectal Cancer

You can't afford to be squeamish: You need to be screened for colorectal cancer. If everyone did this, at least a third of colorectal cancer deaths could be avoided, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A yearly fecal occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test – These tests check for hidden blood in the stool, which may be from polyps.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years – A lighted tube is used to examine the rectum and lower colon. (A combination of a yearly stool test plus a sigmoidoscopy every five years is preferred over either of these options alone, advises the ACS. )

Double-contrast barium enema every five years – A type of colon x-ray.

Colonoscopy every 10 years – A long lighted tube is used to view the rectum and entire colon.

Cervical Cancer

Pap tests are recommended every one to two years. You may choose not to be tested if you've had a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and cervix), unless the surgery was to treat cancer or a precancerous condition. Your doctor can advise you as to how often you should be screened.

Prostate Cancer

The ACS says men 50 and older should be offered prostate cancer screening. Doctors continue to debate whether prostate cancer screening is a good idea, however. Ongoing studies should help answer questions about the effectiveness of such screening, including whether it saves lives or if it leads to treating slow-growing tumors unnecessarily. Meanwhile, discuss your prostate cancer risk and the pros and cons of screening with your doctor so that you can decide whether screening is right for you.

Skin Cancer

Check your skin often for anything unusual, such as a mole that changes in color, shape or size, or a sore that doesn't heal – and let your doctor know right away if you find something abnormal. Your doctor can also look at your skin during regular exams.

Just in Case

Although screenings are an important tool in the fight against cancer, there's another reason to get them: They can bring peace of mind. Most people will never get the cancers they're screened for. "Screenings become a kind of insurance policy," Dr. Schultheiss says. "It's something that, hopefully, you will never need, but it's something you do because it might help you avoid a cancer diagnosis."

To learn more about cancer screenings, go to the ACS website at www.cancer.org.

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