Early Diagnosis gives better chances of Cure for Cancer.
Cancer is very common these days and the outcomes may not be favourable if diagnosed late. Cancers treatments can be successful if the cancer is detected early or is stage 1. How can we make sure that cancers are not detected late.
Each cancers starts of as very small and thus a test or a combination of tests may detect the cancer at a very early stage. Not all cancers can be detected early, but a few common ones can be picked up early. Thus if we follow a screening program, then we can identify and treat these early cancers with very good outcomes. Each sort of cancer has its own screening tests. Some kinds of cancer presently do not have an efficient screening approach. Creating new cancer cells screening tests is a location of active research.
In this article I have listed a few tests, which if done annually can help in the early screening for these cancers. Read on.
Breast cancer
- Breast self-examination: Throughout this exam, a woman looks and feels for changes in her own breast. This has to be done on a monthly basis on a fixed date. If she notices any changes, she needs to see a medical professional.
- Clinical breast assessment: A physician looks for any type of changes in the breast’s dimension or form. The examiner also tries to find changes in the skin of the breasts and also nipples.
- Mammography: Mammography is a kind of x-ray especially developed to check out the breast. The pictures generated by mammography can show tumours or irregularities in the breast. These images are called mammograms.
Cervical cancer
- Pap test: This examination utilizes cells from the beyond a lady’s cervix. A pathologist then determines any kind of precancerous or malignant cells. A Pap examination might be incorporated with HPV testing.
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) screening: Cells are scraped from the outside of a female’s cervix. These cells are evaluated for specific strains of HPV. Some strains of HPV are much more highly connected to an increased threat of cervical cancer. This examination may be done alone or incorporated with a Pap test. An HPV test may also be done on an sample of cells from a female’s vaginal area that she can collect herself.
Colon and Rectal cancer
- Fecal occult blood test (FOBT): This test discovers blood in the faeces, which can be a sign of polyps or cancer cells. Stool examination is required for this and this test should be done annually. If stools contain occult blood, then colonoscopy is required.
- Colonoscopy. Throughout this procedure, the medical professional inserts a flexible, lighted tube called a colonoscope into the anus. The medical professional has the ability to examine the whole colon for polyps or cancer.
Another added advantage of stool occult blood is that it can even help pick up small gastro-intestinal cancers like cancer of the oesophagus, stomach or other parts of the small intestine.
Prostate cancer
- Digital rectal evaluation (DRE): A DRE is an examination in which the doctor inserts a gloved moisturized finger into a guy’s rectum and also feels the surface area of the prostate for any type of irregularities.
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) examination. This blood test determines the degree of a compound called PSA. PSA is usually discovered at higher-than-normal degrees in men with prostate cancer But a high PSA level may likewise be a sign of conditions that are not malignant.
Lung cancer
- X-Ray or
- Low-dose helical or spiral computed tomography (CT or CAT) check. A CT check takes x-rays of the within the body from various angles. A computer system then combines these images right into a thorough, 3-dimensional image that reveals any kind of problems or tumours. High risk population especially smokers and their families can be screened for lung cancer. ST Scan is expensive, but Xray is cheap. However, CT Scan is more efficient. These have to be done annually.
Annual Medical Check-up
Getting oneself checked annually may be the another best alternative to pick up any irregularity in the body. This check-up should definitely have the above mentioned tests.
Conclusion:
Screening tests can help doctors locate a cancer at an earlier, a lot more treatable stage. This helps enhance survival. However, cancers can still be missed even with these tests. However, the overall advantage far outweighs the occasional missing out of a diagnosis or even overdiagnosis rarely. I will write about some warning symptoms, which could be due to early cancer and if ignored can lead to a delay in the management with the cancer advancing.