Cancer Facts

Screenings

Breast cancer

• Breast self-exam (BSE) — this is an exam in which you check your own breasts for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.
• Clinical breast exam (CBE) — this is an exam of the breast conducted by a doctor or other health professional. The doctor will carefully feel the breasts and under the arms for lumps for anything else that seems unusual.
• Mammogram — see section below.
• Ultrasound — If a lump or other abnormality is found using one of the three tests above, then an ultrasound may be used to get a better picture of the breast tissue.

• A mammogram is an x-ray exam of the breast. It is used to detect tumors that are too small to feel.
• For a mammogram, the breast is squeezed between two plastic plates attached to the mammogram machine unit in order to spread the tissue apart. This squeezing or compression ensures that there will be very little movement, that the image is sharper and that the exam can be done with a lower x-ray dose.
• Although a mammogram may be uncomfortable, the compression only lasts for a few seconds and is necessary to produce a good image.

• The American Cancer Society recommends that women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year, and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.

Colorectal cancer

• Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) — checks stool (solid waste) for blood that can only be seen with a microscope. Blood in the stool may be a sign of polyps or cancer.
• Sigmoidoscopy — is a procedure to look inside the rectum and sigmoid (lower) colon for polyps, abnormal areas or cancer. A sigmoidoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted through the rectum into the sigmoid colon.
• Barium enema (BE) — is a series of x-rays of the lower gastrointestinal tract. A liquid that contains barium (a silver-white metallic compound) is put into the rectum. The barium coats the lower gastrointestinal tract and x-rays are taken. This procedure is also called a lower GI series.
• Colonoscopy — is a procedure to look inside the rectum and colon for polyps, abnormal areas or cancer. A colonoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is inserted through the rectum into the colon. Polyps or tissue samples may be taken for biopsy.
• Digital rectal exam (DRE) — is an exam of the rectum. The doctor or nurse inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the lower part of the rectum to feel for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.

• Women and men 50 years old and older should get screened every 3-4 years for colorectal cancer.

Lung cancer

• Sputum cytology — is the microscopic examination of cells obtained from a deep-cough sample of mucus in the lungs.
• Biopsy — is the removal of a small sample of tissue for examination under a microscope. There are four ways to obtain lung tissue:
• Bronchoscopy — this procedure involves putting a bronchoscope (a thin, lighted tube) into the mouth or nose and down through the windpipe to look into the breathing passages. Through this tube, the doctor can collect cells or small samples of tissue.
• Needle aspiration — this procedure involves a needle inserted through the chest into the tumor to remove a sample of tissue.
• Thoracentesis — this involves a doctor using a needle to remove a sample of the fluid that surrounds the lungs to check for cancer cells
• Thoracotomy — this is a surgery to open the chest; this is a major operation and is performed in a hospital.

• During routine physical exams, a doctor examines the lungs by listening to the patient breathing. Those who are at a high risk for getting lung cancer will be monitored closely. Only those who have symptoms of lung cancer typically go through the screenings listed above.

Prostate cancer

• Digital rectal exam (DRE) — is an exam of the rectum. The doctor or nurse inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the lower part of the rectum to feel the prostate for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.
• Prostate-specific antigen test (PSA) — is a test that measures the level of PSA in the blood. PSA is a substance made mostly by the prostate. There may be an increased amount of PSA found in the blood of men who have prostate cancer. PSA levels may also be high in men who have an infection or inflammation of the prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; an enlarged, but non-cancerous, prostate).

• Men should start getting digital rectal exams every year starting in their 20s.
• Men 50 and older should get a Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test every year.

Skin cancer

• Monthly self-examination — A self-examination of the skin once a month may help find changes that should be reported to a doctor. Most melanomas that appear in the skin can be seen by the naked eye.
• Doctor examination — Regular skin checks by a doctor are important for people who have already had skin cancer.
• Biopsy — If an area on the skin looks abnormal, a biopsy is usually done. The doctor will remove as much of the suspicious tissue as possible through a local excision. A pathologist then looks at the tissue under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

• Men and women starting in their twenties should do a self-exam once a month to check for abnormalities.
• Men and women ages 20-39 should get a physical exam by a doctor every three years. During the exam, the doctor should check the skin for any abnormalities.
• Men and women ages 40-49 should get a physical exam by a doctor every two years. During the exam, the doctor should check the skin for any abnormalities.
• Men and women ages 50 and older should get a physical exam by a doctor every year. During the exam, the doctor should check the skin for any abnormalities.