Early Detection
The American Cancer Society recommends these cancer screening guidelines for most adults. Screening tests are used to find cancer before a person has any symptoms.
NEW – 3D Mammography now available at Self Regional Healthcare. Click here for more information.
NEW – High Risk Breast Clinic offers a proactive approach to reducing risks for developing breast cancer. Click here for more information.
Breast cancer
- Women age 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms (x-rays of the breast) if they wish to do so.
- Women age 45 to 54 should get a mammogram every year.
- Women age 55 and older should switch to a mammogram every 2 years, or can continue with yearly screening.
- Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live 10 more years or longer.
- All women should be familiar with the known benefits, limitations, and potential harms linked to breast cancer screening.
Women should also know how their breasts normally look and feel and report any breast changes to a health care provider right away.
Some women – because of their family history, a genetic tendency, or certain other factors – should be screened with MRIs along with mammograms. (The number of women who fall into this category is very small.) Talk with your health care provider about your risk for breast cancer and the best screening plan for you.
Colon and rectal cancer and polyps
For individuals at average risk for colorectal cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends starting regular screenings at age 45. This can be done either with a sensitive test that looks for signs of cancer in a person’s stool (a stool-based test), or with an exam that looks at the colon and rectum (a visual exam). Talk to your health care provider about which tests might be good options for you, and to your insurance provider about your coverage. No matter which test you choose, the most important thing is to get screened.
If you’re in good health, you should continue regular screenings through age 75.
For individuals age 76 through 85, talk with your health care provider about whether continuing to get screened is right for you. When deciding, take into account your own preferences, overall health, and past screening history.
Those that are over 85 should no longer get colorectal cancer screening.
If you choose to be screened with a test other than colonoscopy, any abnormal test result needs to be followed up with a colonoscopy.
Lung cancer
The American Cancer Society recommends yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan (LDCT) for certain people at higher risk for lung cancer who meet the following conditions:
- Individuals age 50 to 77;
- Asymptomatic (no signs or symptoms of lung cancer);
- Tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (one pack-year = smoking 1 pack per day for 1 year; 1 pack = 20 cigarettes)
- Current smoker or one who has quit smoking within the last 15 years;
- Receive an order for lung cancer screening with low dose CT.
Before getting screened, you should talk to your health care provider about:
- Your risk for lung cancer
- How you can quit smoking, if you still smoke
- The possible benefits, limits, and harms of lung cancer screening
- Where you can get screened
- You should also talk with your insurance provider about your coverage.
Prostate cancer
The American Cancer Society recommends that men make an informed decision with a health care provider about whether to be tested for prostate cancer. Research has not yet proven that the potential benefits of testing outweigh the harms of testing and treatment. We believe that men should not be tested without first learning about what we know and don’t know about the risks and possible benefits of testing and treatment.
- Beginning at age 50, men should talk to their health care provider about the pros and cons of testing so they can decide if testing is the right choice for them.
- If you are African American or have a father or brother who had prostate cancer before age 65, you should have this talk with your health care provider starting at age 45.
- If you decide to be tested, you should get a PSA blood test with or without a rectal exam. How often you’re tested will depend on your PSA level.