The Importance Of Cancer Screening

We have looked at the many preventable causes of cancer and the importance of taking charge of our cancer risk. I have included these articles early in the cancer series to highlight the fact that we are not totally without control when it comes to cancer. Certainly, none of us is immune to the risk of cancer even if we are meticulous in our lifestyle and we have a favourable genetic makeup. There are no such guarantees. However, we can tilt the balance more in our favour.

One of our most potent strategies to accomplish this is to take cancer screening seriously. A lot of research has been done to establish guidelines for the optimal method and timing of various screening procedures. Unfortunately, such screening protocols are approved for only a few types of cancer. However, the good news is that these are among the most common and deadly of cancers, including breast, prostate, colorectal and cervical. One notable exception is lung cancer screening for which no screening protocol has been established.

The importance of screening results from the improved survival associated with early cancer detection. Several cancers are curable by surgery when they are localized. The dispersed nature of metastatic cancer renders many unmanageable by surgery alone and in many cases incurable. Screening procedures aim to detect early cancer even before they are clinically obvious. Indeed, this is their strength. Catching cancer at this early stage improves your chance of survival and also your chances of a cure.

Some of these are unpleasant procedures. Many are inconvenient and there are other costs involved. However, when the stakes include finding cancer in an orderly fashion and at an early manageable stage, the choice is clear.

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