Different Types of Cancer Screenings

Despite advances in knowledge and treatment, doctors diagnose about 1.8 million new cases of cancer in the United States each year. More than half a million people die from cancer each year, too. Although cancer may be widespread and encompass many types of disease, catching it early increases your chance of successful treatment and survival. 

At the Low Testosterone & Weight Loss Center, you can get the cancer screenings you need to take charge of your health and get ahead of any potential problems. Following are the most important kinds of cancer screenings for men and women.

Prostate cancer

Close to 200,000 men receive a prostate cancer diagnosis each year.  More than 33,000 die from the disease, too. However, 3.1 million men who received a prostate cancer diagnosis are living.

When you catch it in the earliest stages, prostate cancer can be cured. That’s why prostate cancer screening is so essential for men’s health.

Prostate cancer screening starts with a physical exam called the digital rectal exam (DRE), a quick and easy way for our providers to see if your prostate is normal or enlarged.

An enlarged prostate could be a sign of prostate cancer or a non-cancerous but uncomfortable condition called benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). If you’re at high risk for prostate cancer or are over age 40, we may conduct a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. 

A PSA at age 40 establishes your baseline levels, which serves as your “normal” range. Men between the ages of 55-69 benefit from regular PSA tests. 

Breast cancer

We also offer women’s health services at our clinic. Women over the age of 40 should receive regular mammograms to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. 

Breast cancer is rare in men, and yet it does occur. If you’re at risk for male breast cancer, we may refer you for a male mammogram.

Colon cancer

Depending on your risk for colon cancer, you may be able to screen for this deadly disease with a simple annual stool test. However, stool tests aren’t as definitive as a colonoscopy, which only has to be done once every 10 years in men and women at average risk. 

If you’re at high risk for colon cancer based on personal or familial history, we recommend a colonoscopy at age 45. Most colon cancers develop once you’re 50 or older.

If you have a digestive disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, you should get your first colonoscopy within eight years of your diagnosis. We also recommend an early colonoscopy if you’ve had radiation to the abdominal or pelvic area. 

Skin cancer

Skin cancer is more common than all other cancers combined. If we notice a suspicious lesion or if you have a mole that’s changed shape, size, or color, we refer you to a dermatologist for a skin cancer screening.

If you have a personal or family history of skin cancer, you should see a dermatologist each year for a skin cancer screening. Also, be sure to check your body regularly for changes in any moles, sores that don’t heal, or anything else that seems suspicious.  

Don’t let fear of cancer interfere with your ability to detect and treat it in its earliest, most curable stages. Call us today about cancer screening at 469-912-2113 or use our online form to schedule an appointment.