What is Screening and Testing?

The term "screening" refers to the regular use of certain examinations or tests in people who do not have any symptoms of cancer. For certain types of cancer, screening makes it possible to identify cancer at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to work.

Who should undergo screening tests for cancer?

If you have no known "risk factors," the American Cancer Society recommends that you have certain screening tests on a routine basis. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease such as cancer. The kinds of tests recommended depend on your age and gender:

Not everyone needs to undergo regular screening for cancer. There are many factors that determine who should be screened. Over the years, researchers have established risk factors for certain types of cancer. Risk factors are certain characteristics or exposures that make people more likely to develop a type of cancer than other people who do not have those risk factors. Risk factors are different for different types of cancer.

For women and men:

Colorectal cancer

Starting at age 50: Both women and men should do at least one of the following:

• Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year

-- Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years

-- Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years

-- Colonoscopy every 10 years

Other cancers

-- Starting at age 20: Regular health exams that could include exams for cancer of the thyroid, oral cavity, skin, lymph nodes, testes, and ovaries.

For women only:

Breast cancer

During your 20s and 30s: Clinical breast exams at least every 3 years. Breast self-exams are an option to help you become familiar with the normal feel of your breasts so that you can tell if something has changed and report it to your doctor.

Starting at age 40: Clinical breast exams every year during regular health exams. Mammograms every year.

Cervical cancer

3 years after first having sex or age 21, whichever comes first: Regular Pap test every year or liquid-based Pap test every other year.

Starting at age 30: If you have had 3 normal Pap test results in a row, you may be screened every 2 to 3 years.

Starting at age 70: Stop having Pap tests if you have had 3 or more normal Pap test results in a row or no abnormal Pap test results in the last 10 years.

Endometrial (uterine) cancer

Starting at menopause: Your doctor should talk to you about the risks and symptoms of endometrial cancer. You should report any unexpected bleeding or spotting to your doctor.

For men only:

Prostate cancer

Starting at age 50: Consider the prostate-specific (PSA) blood test and digital rectal exam every year.

If you have one or more risk factors for any of the kinds of cancer listed above, your doctor may recommend that you start being screened for these types of cancer at a younger age or more often than people without any risk factors.

If you are at high risk of getting other kinds of cancer because you have certain risk factors, your doctor might also recommend that you have other types of screening tests. For example, if you have a certain kind of birth defect in the bladder, that is a risk factor for bladder cancer. Your doctor may recommend that you have certain bladder cancer screening tests on a regular basis, such as a urine cytology test to examine your urine unde the microscope for cancer cells.

What types of screening tests are available for cancer?

There are many different types of screening tests designed to detect different types of cancer. The main types of screening tests are: 

Clinical exams -- During a clinical exam, your doctor might be able to tell whether you could have cancer by looking for certain changes in your body. For example, the doctor might examine the moles on your skin to see if they are changed or feel your throat for lumps that could be signs of thyroid cancer.

Imaging tests -- These tests or evaluation procedures produce pictures of areas inside the body. They include x-rays, like mammograms, computed tomography (CT or CAT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Visualization procedures -- These techniques involve the use of instruments to look at the inside of the body. For example, in a colonoscopy, the doctor inserts a long, flexible, lighted tube through the rectum into the colon to see the lining of the entire colon and possibly treat certain problems.

Laboratory tests -- The doctor collects a sample of urine, blood, or other cells. A pathologist (a doctor who is expert in diagnosing diseases) tests and examines cells from the sample to find out if they are cancerous.

Genetic testing -- A genetic testing is a blood test used to tell whether you have a gene mutation (unusual genetic change) that increases your risk of developing a certain kind of cancer. If the test results are positive, your doctor might monitor your health very closely and give you certain tests more frequently. If the tests are negative, you have the same risk of getting cancer as most people.

To find out more about some of the common screening procedures for cancer, please refer to the following links:

Genetic Testing

Breast Cancer Screening

Cervical Cancer Screening

Colorectal Cancer Screening

Gastric Cancer Screening

Lung Cancer Screening

Melanoma Screening

Ovarian Cancer Screening

Pancreatic Cancer Screening

Prostate Cancer Screening

Uterine Cancer Screening