Introduction

 

The first sign that you could have cancer may come from a routine screening test (such as a mammogram or colonoscopy), a health exam to identify the cause of a symptom or problem, or a procedure to treat another condition. 

If your doctor believes that you could have cancer, he or she will order several different kinds of tests to confirm that you have cancer and not another disease or condition, identify the kind of cancer you have, and find out how far the cancer has spread. After using these tests to diagnose, or identify, your cancer, your doctor might use more tests to find the best treatments for your disease, track your treatment progress, and monitor your overall health.

Explore the links in the column to the right to learn about cancer screening and diagnosis, the various tests you may need, and important questions to ask about your diagnosis and testing.

Latest Cancer News
ACOG Updates Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

November 20, 2009 — The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has revised its cervical cancer screening recommendations: the organization now recommends that women begin screening at the age of 21 and receive screening at less frequent intervals. These recommendations will be published in the December 2009 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

New Velcade®-melphalan Transplant Regimen for Multiple Myeloma

November 20, 2009 — Researchers from France have reported encouraging results with adding Velcade® (bortezomib) to high-dose melphalan followed by autologus stem cell infusion for initial treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The details of this Phase II study appeared in an early online publication in Blood on November 2, 2009.

Folic Acid May Be Beneficial in Patients with Recurrent Colorectal Adenoma Who Are Folate Deficient

November 20, 2009 — Researchers affiliated with the Health Professional Follow-Up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study have reported that folic acid supplementation in patients with recurrent colorectal adenoma was not protective or harmful in most patients. However, patients who were folate deficient had a significant 39% decrease in adenoma recurrence. The details of this study appeared in an early online publication on October 28, 2009 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health