Cancer Screening

Effective cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment require more than top-notch professionals; they also require a commitment to using new technology.

For example, specialists at Baylor can now detect breast cancer at the earliest stages by using a technique called ductal lavage. In this procedure, cells are collected from inside the milk ducts, where 95 percent of breast cancers begin. The cells are examined for signs of cancer.

Other new screening and diagnostic techniques, such as MRI, CT scan, and SPECT, allow doctors to evaluate specific areas of the body for cancer without surgery.

Potential Lifesavers: Getting the Right Cancer Screenings
When cancer is discovered and treated in the earliest stages, nine of ten patients can be successfully treated for breast , prostate , localized melanoma (skin cancer), or colon cancer. However, many cancers do not cause signs or symptoms until long after they have spread.

To discover cancer early, follow these screening guidelines for men and women, women only, and men only:

Men and Women
Age 20 to 40

• Get health counseling and a cancer checkup from your doctor once every three years.

Age 40+

• Get an annual digital rectal exam.

Age 50+

• Get and annual fecal occult blood test.
• Get a sigmoidoscopy once every three to five years.

Women Only
Age 18+

• Perform a monthly breast self-exam (BSE).
• Get an annual Pap test. (Start earlier than age 18 if you're sexually active.)

Age 20 to 40

• Get a clinical breast exam every three years.
• Get a pelvic exam every one to three years.

Age 40+

• Get a clinical breast exam each year.
• Get a mammogram each year.

Men Only

• Get an annual prostate exam and PSA. Start at age 40 if you are at high risk, African-American, and/or have a family history of prostate cancer.