Cancer Screening

… don’t procrastinate!

As discussed in our recent Stop Cancer post, the prevalent cancers today are cancers of the breast, prostate, colon/rectum and lung, and together account for nearly 60% of cases.

BUT REMEMBER, the vast majority of cancers are curable if found early (prior to spreading).

Current Canadian statistics indicate that cancer will affect almost half of us during our lifetime. This fact is something very challenging for most of us to digest, but one that we all should pay heed to. It is, however, my strong belief that early detection is the key to success in the battle against cancer and against those statistics. It is for this reason that cancer screening is so important to all of us.

General cancer screening for men and women of all ages is available to guide you in better assessing your risk factors and providing you with an opportunity for early intervention.

Targeted screening opportunities:

• The Pap test – also called a Pap smear, checks for changes in the cells of the cervix. (The cervix is the lower part of the uterus). Simply put, a Pap test can save your life. It can find the earliest signs of cervical cancer. If caught early, the chance of curing cervical cancer is very high.
• Breast & Prostate exams to physically palpate risk areas and identify irregularities.
• Laboratory testing for recognized markers and risk indicators. [PSA – Prostate CA, CA-125 – Ovarian Ca, CA 15-3 – Breast Ca, CEA – Colon, Lung and Liver CA, are examples.] Targeted testing of blood and urine can provide tremendous insight into your predisposition toward various cancer types.
• Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging (DITI), also referred to as Thermography, is an adjunct in the identification of irregular physiology. Breast thermography is a complementary screening and detection procedure, which when added to a woman’s breast health examination substantially increases the sensitivity in detecting pathologies associated with the breast.
  Some additional cancer type specific opportunities include:
• Colorectal Ca: Annual Fecal Occult Blood test. Also a proctoscopy to sigmoidoscopy as indicated (or every 3-5 years in people with strong family histories).
• Breast Ca: In addition to complementary thermography, referrals for Mammography when indicated.

These screening opportunities are available to all of us and should be discussed with your Doctor as part of your annual physical check-up.

Do not be complacent or hide your head in the sand thinking “Not Me”

For more information on Cancer Screening opportunities, click here.