Recommended cancer screenings: How to protect yourself

Regular maintenance is an important part of caring for your house, your car — and your body. Just like an oil change or an A/C tune-up, an annual checkup lets your doctor see “under the hood” to find early signs of health issues before they become larger problems.

As part of your annual checkup, your primary care provider may recommend certain cancer screenings. Learn more about what screenings you need, why they’re important, and what to expect.

What are cancer screenings, and why do I need them?

Cancer screenings are tests that look for cancer cells in people with no symptoms. These screenings are important, even if you’re healthy. They help identify cancers early, making it easier to treat and survive cancer.

People often ask, “Why do I need to see a doctor or get a screening if I feel fine?” Answer: because we want you to keep feeling fine.

Visiting your provider when you aren’t sick or injured allows you to talk with them about your health, lifestyle, and other factors that impact your risk for conditions like cancer. Your provider can then recommend which tests you should have regularly, when to start having them, and how often you need them.

Where do I get routine screenings?

Most routine cancer screenings start with recommendations from your primary care provider. Some screenings happen at your annual checkup, but others require a separate visit. For example, many women get a Pap test to screen for cervical cancer at an annual visit with their OB-GYN. But colorectal cancer screenings, including colonoscopies, usually require a separate appointment with a gastroenterologist.

What cancer screenings do I need, when?

The types of cancer screenings you should have depend on your age, sex, medical history, and risk factors. Here are common screening recommendations from the American Cancer Society:

Cervical cancer screenings

A cervical cancer screening can involve a Pap test, human papillomavirus (HPV) test or a combo of the two. This testing checks the cervix for abnormal cells. Women ages 25–65 should have:

• Pap test every three years
• HPV test every five years
• Or both a Pap test and HPV test every five years

Regular mammograms

Mammograms are breast X-rays that scan for the earliest signs of breast cancer. Most women with an average risk of breast cancer should get a mammogram every year, starting at age 40 or 45, and every two years after age 55.

Your doctor may recommend more frequent mammograms or additional screenings if you have dense breasts or other factors that put you at risk of breast cancer.

Colorectal cancer screening

There are a few different ways to screen for colorectal cancer, including colonoscopy (which is the most common and the gold standard), sigmoidoscopy, and stool tests. These tests help find polyps or growths in the colon that can become cancerous. How often you receive this screening depends on the type of test, but most people should start colorectal cancer screenings at age 45.

Lung cancer screening

You may need a yearly lung cancer CT scan if you are age 50–80 and:

• Smoke or smoked in the past
• Have at least a 20-pack-year history of smoking

A “pack-year” is smoking one pack a day for a year. So, 20 pack-years could mean smoking one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years.

Other screenings

Your provider may recommend other cancer screenings, including an annual skin check for signs of skin cancer. Men should also talk with their doctor about whether they need a prostate cancer screening, such as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

How much do preventive screenings cost?

There’s more good news about cancer screenings: many insurance plans cover the cost. Check your plan to understand the specifics of what’s covered and when. Typical screening recommendations apply to people with an average risk of developing cancer. But you might be at a higher risk because of family history or other factors. If so, you may need to begin screening earlier, have more advanced screenings, or screen more often.

Whatever you need—the cancer care team at LCMC Health is here to help from start to finish. We can set up routine screenings or provide more advanced screenings. And if you are diagnosed with cancer, we’ll find the right treatment plan, personalized to you. Learn about our services to detect, diagnose, and treat cancer.

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