Advocating for Your Health Means Keeping Up With Screenings
- A health index survey by Hologic Inc. (a women’s health innovation company) in partnership with Gallup (a research and polling organization) found that fewer women have screened for various health conditions, including cancer, within the last 12 months. Most notably, the number of women ages 40 to 49 who underwent health screenings was just 11 percent in 2022 compared to 17 percent in 2020.
- The survey also shed light on the mental health of women. “More women are sad, angry, and worried now than they were three years ago. About four in ten women experienced worry and stress.” Mental health is a wide-ranging condition going unmet, particularly among cancer patients. It affects how you think, feel, and behave.
- Some cancer types have screenings and tests associated with them you can receive to learn your risk, such as breast and colorectal cancers. However, not all cancers have definite screening measures.
- Women are encouraged to begin breast cancer screening at age 40, according to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF). Women at higher risk, such as a carrier of the BRCA gene mutation (increases breast and ovarian cancer risk), have a family history of cancer or have dense breasts, may consider screening younger than 40.
- Colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum). A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside your colon. The USPSTF recommends adults aged 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer.
- Lung cancer screening is recommended, especially among people with a history of smoking, because symptoms usually don’t appear until the cancer has matured to advanced stages.
Fewer women are being screened for a variety of health conditions, including cancer, according to a new survey created by women’s health screening company Hologic Inc. in partnership with research and polling organization Gallup. The United States ranked 30th for women’s health screenings in the global survey, placing among the Central Asian country Kazakhstan. While a company sponsors this survey, we know without a doubt the long-term problems that can arise when people undergo recommended health screenings at the last minute or none at all.
Women ages 40 to 49 were just 11 percent in 2022 compared to 17 percent in 2020. During this age range, cancer screenings for breast and colorectal cancer are recommended by health experts.
The survey also shed light on the mental health of women. “More women are sad, angry, and worried now than they were three years ago. About four in ten women experienced worry and stress.”
Mental health is a wide-ranging condition going unmet, particularly among cancer patients. Your mental health affects how you think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or changes in your physical health can affect your mental health. For cancer patients, a diagnosis undoubtedly impacts their mental health. If you are diagnosed with cancer or other chronic disease, you should be mindful of your mental health because it can affect your overall prognosis.
RELATED: Psychologist Dr. Samantha Board discusses managing mental health long-term.
Researchers behind the study surmised countries worldwide have work to do to improve women’s health.
Helping You Navigate Prevention and Screening Methods
- 30% of Women Say They Have Delayed Mammograms Due to COVID-19, 45% Tell SurvivorNet They're Now More Nervous About Going to the Doctor
- I Have Dense Breasts. Do I Need a 3D Mammogram?
- Can Artificial Intelligence Improve the Accuracy of Your Colonoscopy? Dr. Heather Yeo Explains the ‘GI Genius’
- Colon Cancer Diagnosis: What Happens After the Colonoscopy
- Getting Cleaned Out for a Colonoscopy
- HPV Vaccination Dramatically Reduces Cervical Cancer Rates; Everything You Should Know About The Vaccine
- Lung Cancer Screening Has Come a Long Way, But Only 10% of Eligible People Take Advantage
- The PSA Blood Test and a Rectal Exam are Vital for Prostate Cancer Screening
The Value of Cancer Screenings
Some cancer types have screenings and tests associated with them you can receive to learn your risk. For breast cancer, women can undergo mammograms to scan for anything abnormal with the breasts. Colonoscopies help both men and women learn their colorectal cancer risk and can even prevent precancerous polyps (a small group of cells that form on the colon’s lining) from developing into full-blown cancer. Pap smear or human papillomavirus (HPV) tests can help mitigate cervical cancer risks.
However, not all cancer types have strong screening methods to catch it early, such as ovarian cancer or lung cancer. In cases like these, patients may possess certain risk factors that increase their risk, such as the BRCA gene mutation, which increases their chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer. If you have a history of smoking, lung cancer risk grows substantially. If you have a family history of cancer, you may be at higher risk for developing cancer as well.
Breast Cancer Screening
The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives. For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
WATCH: Understanding the BRCA gene mutation.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Family History & Breast Cancer Risk
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age
- Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Added exposure to estrogen
- Having children after the age of 30
- Exposure to radiation early in life
- Family history of the disease
RELATED: Is Genetic Testing Right for You?
Different types of genetic testing can help people with a family history of cancer better ascertain their cancer risks. Your doctor will discuss your family history of cancer with you in the context of your type of tumor and your age at diagnosis. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.
WATCH: Understanding genetic testing for breast cancer.
About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
“We encourage only those with a family history to get [genetic testing],” Dr. Ginsburg tells Survivornet.
“I would say that if you have anyone in your family diagnosed with a rare cancer. Or if you have a strong family history of one or two kinds of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian, but also colon, rectal, uterine, and ovarian cancer, that goes together in another cancer syndrome called the Lynch Syndrome,” Dr. Ginsburg adds.
The second test involves the genetic sequencing of your tumor if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer by this point. These genetic changes can be inherited, but most arise during a person’s lifetime. This process usually involves examining a biopsy or surgical specimen of your tumor. This testing can lead to decisions on drugs that might work against your cancer.
“Digital mammography, it turns out, significantly improves the quality of the mammogram…It’s 3D or tomosynthesis mammography,” Dr. Lehman explains.
“This allows us to find more cancers and to significantly reduce our false-positive rate. With digital mammography 3D tomosynthesis, we’re taking thin slices through that breast tissue, like slices of a loaf of bread. We can look at each slice independently rather than trying to see through the entire thickness of the entire loaf of bread. So those thin slices help us find things that were hidden in all the multiple layers,” Dr. Lehman adds.
Additional testing can be considered for dense breasts, depending on a woman’s personal history, preferences, and her physician’s guidance.
Screening Options for Women with Dense Breasts
Women with dense breasts should get additional screening to supplement their mammograms. Dense breasts mean more fibro glandular tissue and less fatty breast tissue exists.
The dense tissue has a “masking effect on how well we can perceive cancer and find cancer on mammograms,” Dr. Cindy Ly, a radiology doctor at NYU Langone Medical Center, told SurvivorNet.
Glandular tissue within dense breasts appears white on mammograms, which can help mask potential cancer. The “frosted glass” effect from the glandular tissue can thus mask cancerous areas, especially developing ones. Undetected, these cancers can progress, growing large and advanced. They will then likely require more intensive treatments to cure or can become incurable altogether.
Colorectal Cancer Screening
A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside your colon. Colon or colorectal cancer affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum).
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults aged 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer.
A colonoscopy procedure requires your colon to be “cleaned out.” To clear out your colon, your doctor will prescribe a “bowel prep,” a liquid you drink the night before the procedure. The prep acts as a laxative that causes you to have multiple loose stools before your procedure.
Once your colon is cleared, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure can have a clear look to evaluate if any polyps or masses are present.
Depending on the size and number of polyps found, it is recommended that patients undergo a repeat colonoscopy within three to five years.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet.
“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained.
“What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So, there’s no pain,” Dr. Murrell added.
The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.
Prostate Cancer Screening
When you do get screened for prostate cancer, your doctor will run a few tests.
One of the tests is the PSA test, a simple blood test that screens for prostate cancer. It looks for more significant amounts of protein-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. An elevated PSA test does not always mean you have prostate cancer. It could also reflect that your prostate is enlarged, which is common, or it could signal an infection or inflammation.
Your doctor may also conduct a digital rectal exam (DRE) to check your prostate for lumps.
Depending on the results of these tests, imaging scans and a biopsy may be ordered.
WATCH: How Gleason Grade Determines Treatment
After tests are conducted, your doctor analyzes the results to give you a Gleason Score. This score ranges from 6 to 10. The higher the score, the more aggressive the cancer.
This score, along with your other test results, helps doctors determine if your cancer is “low risk,” “intermediate risk,” or “high risk.”
Prostate cancer does not always behave the same in every man it impacts. The cancer can be considered “low-risk” and can be slow-growing, and treatment might not be necessary. In other men, the cancer may grow faster or more aggressively, requiring more immediate treatment. Because of this, there is some debate about screening.
The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommends men at average risk between the ages of 55-69 years old should talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening. Most doctors agree that men over the age of 70 do not need screening.
SurvivorNet experts suggested that men consider factors like their family history, genes, and age when deciding whether and when to screen.
Cervical Cancer Screening
Cervical cancer begins in the cells lining the cervix, the lower part of the womb (uterus). It usually develops slowly, however, before cancer presents itself. Vaginal bleeding or pelvic pains are common symptoms. Cervical cancer, which has been linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), is curable when discovered early through routine screening, which is done through Pap Smears or HPV tests. A pap smear is a test that helps detect cervical cancer early.
The American Cancer Society recommends cervical cancer screenings begin at age 25, and HPV screening is recommended every five years after that.
Lung Cancer Screening
Lung cancer forms when cancer cells develop in the tissues of the lung. It doesn’t cause symptoms until it has spread outside the lungs, making it harder to catch in its early stages. It predominantly impacts people with a history of smoking, although this cancer can also impact non-smokers.
Scans such as X-rays can help doctors determine if a shadow appears, which can prompt further testing for lung cancer.
WATCH: Detecting lung cancer in the absence of symptoms.
Lung cancer screening is painless and lasts only a few minutes. It involves using a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). While lying on a table, an X-ray will scan your lungs for anything unusual, such as a shadow over the lungs.
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