Prevention And Awareness

Smoking Cessation Programs

Cancer Screenings

The best way to beat cancer is to find it early. The American Cancer Society recommends a cancer-related checkup every three years for people aged 20-40 and every year for people age 40 or older. This exam should include health counseling, and depending on the person’s age, it might include examinations for cancers of the thyroid, oral cavity, skin, lymph nodes, testes, and ovaries, as well as for some nomalignant diseases. The American Cancer Society also urges the following cancer screenings.

Breast

Women 40 and older should have an annual mammogram, an annual clinical breast exam performed by a health care professional, and should perform monthly breast self-examination. The clinical breast exam should be conducted close to the scheduled mammogram.

Women 20-39 should have a clinical breast exam performed by a health care professional every three years and should perform monthly breast self-examination.

Colon and rectum

Men and women aged 50 or older should follow one of the following exam schedules:
- A fecal occult blood test every year and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years.*
- A colonoscopy every 10 years*
- A double-contrast barium enema every five to ten years.*
*A digital rectal exam should be done at each of these exams. People at moderate to high risk for colorectal cancer should talk with a doctor about a different testing schedule.

Prostate

Beginning at age 50 men should consider having digital rectal exams annually along with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Men with two or more affected first-degree relatives are at high risk and should begin these exams earlier. African American men may also begin at a younger age, such as 45.

All women 18 and older—as well as those under 18 who are sexually active—should have an annual Pap test and pelvic examination. After three or more consecutive examinations with normal findings, the Pap test may be performed less frequently. Consult with your physician.

Cancer Screening Services

For information about all types of cancer screenings call the numbers below.

Websites

American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute
Ohio State University Cancer Center
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
University of Michigan Cancer Center
Clinical Trials
Lucas County Colorectal Cancer Coalition

Please note that this is just a sampling of some of the most popular resources, not an exclusive or exhaustive list. You can also check your local public or university library for more information.

*The Mercy Cancer Center at St. Anne is a department of Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center.