Cancer, Detection & Treatment
The information provided below has been
modified from
that furnished by the National Institutes of Health and the
National
Cancer Institute of the United States of America.
How can cancer be detected early?
In many cases, the sooner cancer is diagnosed and treated, the
better a
person's chance for a full recovery. If you develop cancer, you
can
improve the chance that it will be detected early if you have
regular
medical checkups and do certain self-exams. Often a doctor can
find early
cancer during a physical exam or with routine tests, even if a
person has
no symptoms. Some important medical exams, tests, and self-
exams are
discussed on the next pages. The doctor may suggest other exams
for people
who are at increased risk for cancer.
Ask your doctor about your cancer risk, problems to watch for,
and a
schedule of regular checkups. The doctor's advice will be based
on your
age, medical history, and other risk factors. The doctor also
can help you
learn about self-exams. (More information and free booklets
about
self-exams are available from the Cancer Information
Service).
Many local health departments have information about cancer
screening or
early detection programs. The Cancer Information Service also
can tell you
about such programs.
Exams For Both Men And Women
Skin - The doctor should examine your skin during regular
checkups for
signs of skin cancer. You should also check regularly for new
growths,
sores that do not heal, changes in the size, shape, or color of
any moles,
or any other changes on the skin. Warning signs like these
should be
reported to the doctor right away.
Colon and Rectum - Beginning at age 50, you should have a
yearly fecal
occult blood test. This test is a check for hidden (occult)
blood in the
stool. A small amount of stool is placed on a plastic slide or
on special
paper. It may be tested in the doctor's office or sent to a
lab. This test
is done because cancer of the colon and rectum can cause
bleeding.
However, noncancerous conditions can also cause bleeding, so
having blood
in the stool does not necessarily mean a person has cancer. If
blood is
found, the doctor orders more tests to help make a diagnosis.
To check for cancer of the rectum, the doctor inserts a gloved
finger
into the rectum and feels for any bumps or abnormal areas. A
digital
rectal exam should be done during regular checkups.
Every 3 to 5 years after age 50, an individual should have
sigmoidoscopy. In this exam, the doctor uses a thin, flexible
tube with a
light to look inside the rectum and colon for abnormal
areas.
Mouth - Your doctor and dentist should examine your mouth at
regular
visits. Also, by looking in a mirror, you can check inside your
mouth for
changes in the color of the lips, gums, tongue, or inner
cheeks, and for
scabs, cracks, sores, white patches, swelling, or bleeding. It
is often
possible to see or feel changes in the mouth that might be
cancer or a
condition that might lead to cancer. Any symptoms in your mouth
should be
checked by a doctor or dentist. Oral exams are especially
important for
people who use alcohol or tobacco products and for anyone over
age 50.
Exams For Men
Prostate - Men over age 40 should have a yearly digital rectal
exam to
check the prostate gland for hard or lumpy areas. The doctor
feels the
prostate through the wall of the rectum.
Testicles - Testicular cancer occurs most often between ages
15 and 34.
Most of these cancers are found by men themselves, often by
doing a
testicular self-exam. If you find a lump or notice another
change, such as
heaviness, swelling, unusual tenderness, or pain, you should
see your
doctor. Also, the doctor should examine the testicles as part
of regular
medical checkups.
Exams For Women
Breast - When breast cancer is found early, a woman has more
treatment
choices and a good chance of complete recovery. It is,
therefore,
important that breast cancer be detected as early as possible.
The
National Cancer Institute encourages women to take an active
part in early
detection. They should talk to their doctor about this disease,
the
symptoms to watch for, and an appropriate schedule of checkups.
Women
should ask their doctor about:
- Mammograms (x-rays of the breast);
- Breast exams by a doctor or nurse; and
- Breast self-examination (BSE)
A mammogram can often show tumors or changes in the breast
before they
can be felt or cause symptoms. However, we know mammograms
cannot find
every abnormal area in the breast. This is especially true in
the breasts
of young women. Another important step in early detection is
for women to
have their breasts examined regularly by a doctor or a
nurse.
Between visits to the doctor, women should examine their
breasts every
month. By doing BSE, women learn what looks and feels normal
for their
breasts, and they are more likely to find a change. Any changes
should be
reported to the doctor. Most breast lumps are not cancer, but
only a
doctor can make a diagnosis.
Cervix - Regular pelvic exams and Pap tests are important to
detect
early cancer of the cervix. In a pelvic exam, the doctor feels
the uterus,
vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, and rectum for any
change in
size or shape.
For the Pap test, a sample of cells is collected from the
upper vagina
and cervix with a small brush or a flat wooden stick. The
sample is placed
in a glass slide and checked under a microscope for cancer or
other
abnormal cells.
Women should start having a Pap test every year after they
turn 18 or
become sexually active. If the results are normal for 3 or more
years in a
row, a woman may have this test less often, based on her
doctor's advice.
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