From an interview with
Tara Bruno, FNP
McLeod Primary Care Carolina Forest 2

As we go through life, we tend to need more frequent checkups with a variety of healthcare professionals. Annual wellness visits with your primary care physician are extremely important to your general health; however, there are also regular screenings that can help prevent or detect many different types of cancer early on, before they spread and become difficult to treat. McLeod Nurse Practitioner Tara Bruno discusses how you can be proactive in protecting yourself against disease.

“It’s important to talk to your doctor about which screenings are recommended for you personally. Various recommendations can be based upon your age, gender, family history and personal medical history. We all have different risk factors, so timing considerations regarding certain screenings depend upon your unique situation. The following are tests that address some of the most common cancers.”

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer screenings are performed by a gastroenterologist. This screening, called a colonoscopy, involves direct visualization of the digestive tract to help identify abnormal tissue growths that can potentially be cancerous or precancerous. Colon cancer screening generally begins at age 45 to 50. The frequency with which it’s performed depends on your personal medical and family history. It can be performed anywhere from every three to five years. If you have an inflammatory bowel condition or a history of polyps, your physician may suggest more frequent screenings. If there’s no family history and your most recent screening was normal, routine screening continues through age 74.

Breast Cancer

The American Cancer Society recommends that women at average risk of breast cancer begin having annual mammograms at age 45. Screenings then change to biannually beginning at age 54. Early detection in screening is essential to survivability. For instance, when it comes to breast cancer, when it’s diagnosed at an early stage, the five year survivability rate is 99%. In contrast, when breast cancer is diagnosed and has already spread to other parts of the body, the five year survivability decreases to 29%.

Cervical Cancer

Screenings include cervical cytology (also called the Pap test or Pap smear), testing for human papillomavirus (HPV), or both. It is recommended that women begin having an annual pap smear at age 21. They should continue at least every three years until age 64, depending on the patient’s medical history. Cervical cancer screening is used to find changes in the cells of the cervix that could lead to cancer. The HPV test looks for cervical infection by high-risk types of HPV that turn normal cervical cells into abnormal or precancerous cells.

“If a patient is looking to establish care with a primary care provider or a specialist, one of the best resources is McLeodHealth.org,” says Bruno. “Simply click on the “Find a Physician” link at the top of the webpage, where you can search by specialty as well as your demographic area.”