Find it early. Live longer.
Finding cancer in the early stages makes treatment more effective. Learn the guidelines below for the different types of screenings and talk to your family provider to determine if you should start screening early.
The American Cancer Society has lowered the recommended colon cancer screening age from 50 to 45 due to an increase in cases among young and middle-aged adults. Based on family history or lifestyle, your family doctor may recommend screening at an earlier age.
There are multiple ways to screen for colon cancer, but a colonoscopy is the only method proven to be able to prevent colon cancer, by removing pre-cancerous polyps.
Resources
A low-dose CT scan can reduce your risk of dying from lung cancer by 20% if you are considered high-risk. In March 2021, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force changed lung cancer screening recommendations to include people who meet all the following requirements:
- Have a 20 pack-a-year or more history. A pack-year is smoking an average of one pack of cigarettes per day for one year. For example, a person could have a 20 pack-year history by smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.
- Smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years.
- Are between 50 and 80 years old.
- Have no signs or symptoms of lung cancer.
Frequently asked questions about a low-dose CT scan
Immediate and long term benefits of quitting smoking
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers.
• There is a 1 in 8 chance a woman will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
• 5-year survival rates for breast cancer:
- 99% if detected early before it spreads.
- 86% if it spreads to lymph nodes or nearby structures.
- 30% if it spreads to distant parts of the body, like lungs, liver or bones.
Screenings
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend all women age 40 and older at average risk of breast cancer should have an annual screening mammogram. In addition, all women should have a clinical breast examination by a physician every year, along with a monthly self-examination.
Women with higher-than-average risk of breast cancer should have a clinical breast examination by a physician every 6-12 months and should consider a high-risk screening of an annual breast MRI along with annual mammogram.
Talk with your doctor
Discuss your risk for breast cancer and a plan for a screening mammogram with your Primary Care Physician or your OB/GYN.
According to the American Cancer Society:
• About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.
• Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men, with the average age of 67 when first diagnosed.
• Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind lung cancer.
• About 1 in 43 men will die of prostate cancer.
Early detection matters:
• 99% – 5-year survival rate if cancer is detected early before it spreads or only spreads to nearby structures or lymph nodes.
• 32% – 5-year survival rate if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body such as the lungs, liver or bones.
Your screening options:
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test
• Digital rectal exam (DRE)
• No single screening is absolute. A diagnosis is usually dependent on several factors, and other tests like a prostate biopsy or an MRI may be needed.
Discuss your options with your Primary Care Physician. You may also be referred to a Urologist for testing, diagnosis and a plan of treatment if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer.
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