Cancer Screenings & Diagnosis

Our breast health team conducts breast cancer screenings. We follow the screening recommendations of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the American College of Radiology and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

• If you’re a woman in your 20s and 30s, you should have a breast examination by a health professional every three years.
• Starting at age 40, you should have a breast examination every year.
• Beginning at age 40, you should have a mammogram every year. You should continue to get a yearly mammogram every year as long as you’re in good health.
• If you have a strong family history of breast cancer, screening should begin 10 years prior to the youngest age of diagnosis in a family member.
• If you have a high risk of breast cancer because of family history, you may need more intensive surveillance with breast MRI in addition to mammograms.

Cervical cancer screening helps identify changes in the cells of the cervix that could lead to cancer. Screening involves a Pap test, a human papillomavirus (HPV) test or both. During both types of tests, a doctor removes cells from your cervix with a brush or other device. The cells then go to the lab for testing.

Screening frequency, as well as the type of test you should have, depends on your age and health history.

• You should start screening at age 21.
• Between ages 21 and 29, you should have a Pap test alone every three years. You may consider HPV testing alone between ages 25 and 29, but Pap tests are preferred.
• Between ages 30 and 65, you may:
  • Have a Pap test and an HPV test every five years.
  • Have a Pap test alone every three years.
  • Have an HPV test alone every five years.

Colorectal cancer screening looks for cancer in your colon and rectum. It’s also known as colon cancer screening.

• Begin screening at age 45 and continue through age 75. Several tests are available. These include:
  • Stool-based tests like Cologuard, which looks for signs of cancer in your stool.
  • Visual exams such as colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy and virtual colonoscopy. These tests look inside your colon and rectum for cancer or polyps, which are growths that can become cancerous. During a colonoscopy, any growths identified may be removed, which can prevent cancer from developing.
• Between ages 76 and 85, talk with your doctor about whether you should continue screening. Consider factors such as your overall health, your past screening history and your personal preferences.
• After age 85, colorectal cancer screening is not recommended.  If you have a strong family history of colon or pancreatic cancers, screening should begin 10 years prior to the youngest age of diagnosis in a family member.
• If you have a high risk of colon or pancreatic cancer because of family history, you may need earlier or more intensive surveillance with a special imaging test or procedure similar to a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy.

If you get a positive result on any non-colonoscopy screening test, it’s important to follow up with a timely colonoscopy.

Mount Auburn Hospital is a designated American College of Radiology lung cancer screening center. Highly trained specialists in lung cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment are here to help you through our Lung & Respiratory Care department.

We use a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan for lung cancer screening.

If you meet the following criteria, you should consider yearly lung cancer screening if:

• You are between 50 and 80 years old.
• You currently smoke
• You have a history of smoking (an average of a pack a day for 20 years, or two packs a day for 10 years).

Decisions about whether to be screened for prostate cancer are personal. It’s best to talk with your doctor about the potential risks and benefits. The American Cancer Society recommends having this discussion at:

• Age 50 if you’re at average risk of prostate cancer and have a life expectancy of at least 10 years.
• Age 45 if you’re at high risk for prostate cancer. This includes African American men and those who had a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65.
• Age 40 if you have more than one close relative (father and/or brother(s)) diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65.

Prostate cancer screening is done with a blood test. It measures levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in your body. A digital rectal exam is another prostate cancer test. In this exam, a doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into your rectum to feel for any abnormalities on the prostate gland.