Cancer screening exams are medical tests done when you’re healthy, and you don’t have any signs of illness. They help find cancer at its earliest stage, when the chances for curing the disease are greatest.
Exams for colorectal and cervical cancer also find abnormal cells that may turn into cancer. Removing these cells can prevent cancer altogether.
MD Anderson has specific screening plans for men and women, based on their chances of getting cancer. The exam you get and how often you are tested depends on whether you are at average, increased or high risk for cancer. People at increased risk have a higher chance of getting cancer than those at average risk. Men and women at high risk for cancer have a higher chance of getting the disease than those at increased risk.
It’s important to know if people in your family have had cancer and if so, what type. This information, along with your personal health history, helps your health care provider find out if you’re at increased or high risk. You and your doctor can use this information to make a well-informed decision about cancer screening.
MD Anderson recommends screening exams for the following types of cancer: