Q. I am 41 years old. Is it necessary for me to
go for cancer screening even though I am feeling very well?
A. Cancer
is one of the top two medical killers in Singapore. The best chance of
surviving cancer is by detecting the condition early.
With
advances in medical technology and knowledge, a lot of cancers are now
treatable and potentially curable if the condition is discovered early.
Therefore,
early detection of cancer by cancer screening is extremely important.
Checking
for cancer (or for conditions that may lead to cancer) in people who have no
symptoms is called screening. Screening can help doctors find and treat some
types of cancer early.
However,
not all types of cancer have effective screening tests and some tests are only
for people with specific genetic risks.
The
recommended screening tests that are effective in detecting cancer early, where
effective treatments are available for the cancers are:
- Mammography for breast cancer
- Colonoscopy for bowel cancer
- PAP smear tests for cervical cancer.
Screening
tests for other cancers are available, but these are recommended only for
people who are at high risk of developing that group of cancer, such as
computed tomography scans for smokers, who have a higher risk of developing lung
cancer.
Anyone
who is above the age of 50 should go for bowel cancer screening.
Some
people who are at high risk, such as those with a strong family history of the
cancer or a history of polyps, may need to have bowel screening tests done at
an earlier age.
Colonoscopy
involves a doctor examining the whole of the inside of your bowel with a long
flexible tube. Colonoscopy allows direct visualisation of the bowel wall and
allows a biopsy to be taken if abnormalities are seen.
Breast
cancer screening is recommended for all women above the age of 40. Some people
who are at high risk, such as those who have a strong family history of breast
cancer, may need to have breast screening tests done at an earlier age.
Mammography
involves a radiographer who helps you to position one breast at a time between
two small flat plates on the X-ray machine. The plates then press your breast
firmly between them for a few moments, to take an X-ray. The compression of the
breast helps to give a clear picture.
All
sexually active women above the age of 21 should go for a cervical cancer
screening test. The screening test involves a doctor taking a small sample of
cells from the surface of your cervix.
This is
done by putting an instrument called a speculum inside your vagina, then
scraping the cervix with a small soft brush. The sample is sent to a laboratory
where a pathologist analyses the cells and reports abnormal ones.
Dr Sue Lo
Senior consultant medical oncologist at The
Harley Street Heart & Cancer Centre
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