Cancer Screening Recommendations
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), in 2007, nearly 1,500,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer, and more than 500,000 people will die from this disease.

Although it’s difficult to estimate the number of lives that might be saved through cancer screenings, screenings can save lives and may improve treatment outcomes.  The fact is earlier-stage cancers are often less aggressive than more advanced-stage cancers.

Below is a list of cancer screenings recommended by the NCI and the American Cancer Society (ACS):

Women
Breast Cancer
Women should receive mammograms to screen for breast cancer beginning at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health. A clinical breast exam (CBE) should be part of a periodic health exam, about every three years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and older.

Cervical Cancer
Women should begin cervical cancer screening about three years after they begin having vaginal intercourse, but no later than when they are 21 years old. Screening should be done every year with the standard Pap test or every two years using the newer liquid-based Pap test.

Men
Prostate Cancer
Men should have both the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination (DRE) annually, beginning at age 50. Men at high risk (African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer) should begin testing at age 45.

Women and Men
Colorectal Cancer
Beginning at age 50, anyone who is at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should have one of the following five screening options:

• yearly fecal occult blood test (FOBT)* or fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
• flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years
• yearly FOBT* or FIT, plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years**
• double-contrast barium enema every five years
• colonoscopy every 10 years

*For FOBT, the take-home multiple sample method should be used. **The combination of yearly FOBT or FIT flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years is preferred over either of these options alone.
All positive tests should be followed up with a colonoscopy.

People who are at higher risk for colorectal cancer, for example those with a personal history of colorectal cancer, adenomatous polyps, or inflammatory bowel disease, or who have a strong family history of colorectal cancer should talk to their doctor about starting colorectal cancer screening earlier and/or undergoing screening more often.

Skin Cancer
Everyone over 50 years of age should have a skin cancer screening performed annually.
 
Other Cancers
A number of cancers, such as pancreatic and lung cancers, are difficult to detect in their earliest stages. For example, according to the ACS, to date, no lung cancer screening test has been shown to prevent people from dying of this disease. Studies of chest x-rays and sputum cytology have concluded that these tests are not able to detect many lung cancers early enough to improve a person’s chance for a cure. For this reason, lung cancer screening has not been recommended as a routine practice for the general public or even for people at increased risk, such as smokers.

But, decreasing the risk for many cancers is possible by changing or modifying your lifestyle and/or environmental exposure to known carcinogens such as tobacco smoke and excessive alcohol consumption. Diet and exercise too have been shown to play a role in cancer prevention.

To learn more about cancer screening recommendations and guidelines, speak to your physician.