How do I know which tests are important?

Dear Doctor,

October seems to be the month when screening for some women cancers gets highlighted. It can get confusing as some of them seem to be commercial offers. Which cancers should I routinely get screened for? Angel

Dear Angel,

You are right, October has traditionally been the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is an annual campaign to not only raise awareness about breast cancer, but also to remind women to take steps for prevention and early detection. Other gynecological cancers should also not be forgotten. This annual event should serve as a prompt for screening for other cancers as well.

Beyond breast cancer, other gynecological cancers include cervical, uterine, ovarian and vulval cancers. Just like breast cancer, there is an established routine screening programme for cervical cancer. The other group of cancers fall into a category where routine screening is not yet established, but some women may have certain risk factors warranting a personalized approach to some form of screening.

For breast cancer, the first step is to be familiar with your own breasts. You need to be aware of any changes on the skin and the deeper tissues of the breasts. Any unusual lumps must be checked out. Your doctor or nurse can easily show you how to routinely check your breasts every month.

 Anything unusual must be cross-checked by your doctor to find out if there is need for further testing. Most authorities recommend screening by doing a mammogram from the age of 40, and then, after every one or two years. Special risk factors may justify starting screening earlier, and more frequently. You should discuss this with your doctor.

Cervical cancer screening should be started at around the age of 21. Common screening tests include Pap smears every 3 years, or what is called visual inspection of the cervix. Co-testing with human papilloma virus (HPV) can be done, allowing lengthening of the screening interval for some.

 Cervical cancer prevention vaccines are now available, and vaccination is recommended for all preteen girls (and boys) before ever getting exposed to HPV.

Many women ask about screening for ovarian cancer. There is however no routine ovarian cancer screening tests presently, even though this may change as scientific research accrues. Vague pelvic symptoms always trigger ovarian imaging though.

Some women may have higher ovarian cancer risks related to genetic inheritance, and may qualify for some individualized screening approaches. Same goes for uterine cancer. The vulva is luckily situated externally, and any potentially cancerous changes will be evident pretty early.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will reduce your overall risks of getting gynecological cancer. Keep your weight in check, eat healthy, avoid toxins like alcohol and tobacco and maintain some physical activities.

Get any unusual symptoms checked promptly. Adhere to the recommended cancer-screening intervals. Any disease picked up early has good chances of being cured, or contained. And don’t just get screened all by yourself, encourage your family members and friends to get screened as well.