Anusha Women & fertility center

CANCER SCREENING

Screening tests are used to find cancer before a person has any symptoms. Here are the American Cancer Society’s recommendations to help guide you when you talk to your doctor about screening for certain cancers.

Breast cancer

Women ages 40 to 44 should start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms (x-rays of the breast).
Women age 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
Women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or can continue 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 a health care provider about your risk for breast cancer and the best screening plan for you.

Colon and rectal cancer and polyps

For people at average risk for colorectal cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends starting regular screening 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). No matter which test you choose, the most important thing is to get screened.

If you’re in good health, you should continue regular screening through age 75.

For people ages 76 through 85, talk with your doctor about whether continuing to get screened is right for you. People 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.

Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer screening should start at age 25. People under age 25 should not be tested because cervical cancer is rare in this age group.
People between the ages of 25 and 65 should get a primary HPV (human papillomavirus) test* done every 5 years. If a primary HPV test is not available, a co-test (an HPV test with a Pap test) every 5 years or a Pap test every 3 years are still good options.

The most important thing to remember is to get screened regularly, no matter which test you get.

People over age 65 who have had regular cervical cancer testing in the past 10 years with normal results should not be tested for cervical cancer. Once testing is stopped, it should not be started again. Those with a history of a serious cervical pre-cancer should continue to be tested for at least 25 years after that diagnosis, even if testing goes past age 65.
People whose cervix has been removed by surgery for reasons not related to cervical cancer or serious pre-cancer should not be tested.
People who have been vaccinated against HPV should still follow the screening recommendations for their age groups.

Some individuals – because of their health history (HIV infection, organ transplant, DES exposure, etc.) – may need a different screening schedule for cervical cancer. Talk to a health care provider about your history.