The Importance of the Early Detection for Fighting

Your Oncology Health Monitoring Test

2011-01-20T23:30:00.000-08:00

An Oncology Health Monitoring Test is a minimally invasive blood cancer test that measures a biomarker called tumor fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products (tFFDP) which has been associated with the presence of malignant cancer tumors.

International studies have linked elevated levels of tFFDP to numerous different types of cancer. Combined with the PSA cancer testing included to assess prostate cancer in men and the CA 15-3 test included to assess breast cancer in women, FirstMark ONC provides evidence of 20 types of cancer.

These cancer tests leverage a unique proprietary formula that captures and quantitatively measures the amount of this cancer-related tFFDP biomarker to most accurately assess the whether or not cancer is present.

What is tFFDP?

An Oncology Health Monitoring Test measures a marker called Tumor Fibrin and Fibrinongen Degradation Products (tFFDP). This marker is a well known by-product of various types of cancer cells and is often found to be elevated in cancer patients during the early stages of the disease. No current test offered by your healthcare provider measures these well known markers. The assessment of tFFDP may provide evidence to physicians that cancer is present in the early stages.

When cancer cells grow they release enzymes to degrade surrounding tissue. The result is an increased level of tFFDP in the blood stream. The tFFDP proteins are highly specific to multiple types of cancer. The purpose of this cancer screening test is to try and help doctors detect cancer in the early stages, or evaluate ongoing treatments in patients diagnosed with cancer. Test results will be evaluated by the physician and will fall into one of the fallowing ranges:

Low Range: Associated with healthy normal individuals that typically do not have cancer.

Middle Range: Range where healthy individuals may fall based on other conditions. *A doctor should evaluate the patient history and closely follow up with other tests to determine appropriate diagnosis.

High Range: Patients have a high risk of cancer or other physical condition. *A doctor should evaluate the patient history and closely follow up with other tests to determine appropriate diagnosis

For additional information on cancer testing, visit http://www.thefirstmark.com/ to learn more.

Your Oncology Health Monitoring Test

2011-01-20T23:13:00.000-08:00

YOU TEST YOU

2010-11-29T03:31:00.000-08:00

Two types of Cancer tests are common, diagnostic tests and screening tests. Prominent amongst the diagnostic tests are Imaging Tests and Laboratory Tests. Imaging tests produce pictures of the inside of the body to see if a person has any suspicious areas or abnormalities. Mammogram, CT scanner, MRI, Virtual Colonoscopy and Ultrasound are examples of imaging tests. Laboratory Tests use a sample of blood, urine or any other substance from the person’s body to identify possible changes. PAP Tests, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Tests, Tumor Markers are all used for detecting cancer.

Cancer assessment tools are used to determine a person’s risk for developing cancer. The tools estimate a person’s risk for developing a particular type of cancer over a certain period of time, for example the next 5 years. This type of estimate is called a person’s absolute risk. Doctors use a risk management tool to identify patients who may be at higher risk of developing a certain type of cancer. They may use this information for developing risk reduction plans and regular screening schedules to detect the cancer early, if it does develop.

A cancer screening test has many goals. Predominant amongst them are to find cancer early before symptoms present themselves, have very few false-negative and false-positive test results and decrease the chance of dying from cancer. Some cancer screening tests are the Mammogram (breast), Pap smear (cervix) and Colonoscopy (colon). If the result of a screening test is abnormal, more tests follow to check for cancer. For example a screening Mammogram may find a lump in the breast, which may be due to a cancer or something else. More diagnostic tests are needed to find out if the lump is a cancer, or not. A diagnostic test may include a biopsy, in which cells are removed and studied under a microscope for signs of cancer.

Early cancer detection includes examinations and tests intended to find cancer as early as possible (ideally before it has spread) when it can be treated most effectively and with the fewest possible side effects. The disease can be curable, under the condition that it is detected early. Early detection is the most important and effective strategy for saving lives lost from cancer, diminishing suffering due to cancer and eliminating cancer as a major health problem.

Accurate Testing for Different Types Of Cancers

2010-10-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

It is your doctor’s responsibility to order the necessary tests to accurately and quickly diagnose your cancer if cancer is a possibility. The earlier your cancer is diagnosed, the more quickly you can begin treatment and increase your chance of survival. Here are some tests that should be run if you suspect cancer.Skin cancer: If your doctor thinks you have melanoma, he or she should take a biopsy from the area around the melanoma and send it to a pathology lab for analysis. If your biopsy shows melanoma, you may need to have more tests, like another biopsy or a lymph node dissection to determine whether the cancer has spread to your lymph nodes.

Breast cancer: If you discover changes in your breast, and are over age 40 you should have a breast cancer test, or otherwise known as a mammogram—an x-ray of your breasts. If you are under 40, an ultrasound is usually better for detecting cancer. A doctor may also take a biopsy for a more accurate breast cancer risk assessment.

If cancer is found, there are many different tests a doctor can use to find out if the breast cancer has spread. The tests vary depending on where the doctor suspects the cancer might have spread to. You may need a whole body CT scan, since the bones, liver and lungs are the most common places for secondary breast cancer, you are most likely to have tests for cancer spread to these parts of the body.

Prostate cancer: in conducting a proper prostate cancer risk assessment, your doctor must first examine your prostate by examining your rectum to feel your prostate gland. If there are hard spots on the prostate, your doctor should recommend additional testing, such as a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. This blood test measures the amount of PSA in your system. A high level of PSA can indicate cancer. Other tests that can detect cancer include: urine tests (to check for blood or infection), prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) blood test, ultrasound, transrectal ultrasonography, intravenous pyelogram, cystoscopy, biopsy, pathology analysis, kidney cancer.

Kidney cancer can be difficult to diagnose. Many kidney tumors are found when X-rays are taken for other reasons. Kidney tumors are felt during an abdominal exam about 20 percent of the time. Because of this, other tests should be conducted. These include: blood tests to check for infection, anemia, and kidney function, urine tests to check kidney function , Intravenous pyelogram (a kidneys x-ray study), ultrasound of the kidneys , CT scan of the kidneys , arteriogram (a special x-ray of the arteries and veins of the kidney), chest X-ray to determine possible spread, cervical cancer.

The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear is where cervical cells are collected and smeared on a slide for microscopic examination. It is an effective screen for precancerous or cancerous changes in cervical cells. If these cells are evident, other tests should be conducted such as: HPV DNA test - to detect the presence of the most common high-risk HPV types, colposcopy - a follow-up test that involves putting a vinegar-like solution on the cervix to check for abnormalities, Schiller test - a test where iodine is placed on the cervix, causing normal cells to turn brown and abnormal cells to show up as white or yellow, biopsy - if abnormal areas are found on the cervix, small pieces of tissue should be removed for examination. For additional information on colon cancer tests and other cancer risk assessment, please visit http://www.thefirstmark.com/ to learn more

Early Detection Of Colorectal Polyps And Cancer

2010-09-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

It has been shown that regular screening can often find colorectal cancer early, when it is most likely to be curable. In many cases, cancer tests can also prevent colorectal cancer altogether. This is because some polyps, or growths, can be found and removed before they have the chance to turn into cancer.

Here is a discussion of the screening tests that can be used to look for colorectal polyps and cancer. This is followed by American Cancer Society recommendation for early detection and cancer prevention.

Screening is the process of looking for cancer in people who have no symptoms of the disease. There are several different colorectal cancer screening tests that can be used to screen for colorectal cancers.

Tests that can find both colorectal polyps and cancer look at the structure of the colon itself to find any abnormal areas. This is done either with a scope inserted into the rectum or with special imaging (x-ray) tests. Polyps found before they become cancerous can be removed, so these cancer tests may prevent colorectal cancer. This is why these tests are preferred if they are available and you are willing to have them. Tests that mainly find cancer involve testing the stool (feces) for signs that cancer may be present. These tests are less invasive and easier to have done, but they are less likely to detect polyps.

These tests as well as others can also be used when people have symptoms of colorectal cancer and other digestive diseases present.

It is believed by The American Cancer Society that preventing colorectal cancer (and not just finding it early) should be a major reason for getting tested. Finding and removing polyps keeps some people from getting colorectal cancer. Tests that have the best chance of finding both polyps and cancer are preferred if these tests are available to you and you are willing to have them. Beginning at age 50, both men and women are at average risk for developing colorectal cancer.

Despite the availability of effective colorectal cancer screening tests, not enough people have them. Some factors affecting their use could include lack of public and health professional awareness of screening tools, financial barriers, and inadequate health insurance coverage and/or benefits. Laws regarding insurance coverage for colorectal cancer screening tests vary by state. The same is true of state Medicaid programs. For people with Medicare, coverage begins at age 50 for the most common colorectal cancer screening tests. For more information on home-based cancer screening tests, please visit www.youtestyou.com to learn more

Getting A Cancer Test – Why It’s Important

2010-08-11T22:53:00.001-07:00

As people get older, they suffer more and more health risks and health difficulties. This is a fact of life. The good news is that you don’t have to live in the dark and you don’t have to resign yourself to illness. A good way to make sure that you are healthy through your old age is to make sure that you get tested as often as necessary. There are different ideas as to how often a person should get tested for diseases and conditions. Once you turn 40, you should be going in to the doctor’s office to get checked up at least three or four times a year. This is just to be safe. One of the most important tests you can get is the cancer test. This kind of test is probably the most essential test when it comes to living a long, healthy life.

The importance of a cancer screening test cannot be overemphasized. The truth is that many of the most deadly kinds of cancer are not necessarily terminal if they are found early enough. There are a number of treatments that can be prescribed by doctors who find evidence of cancer in its early stages. A part of getting old should be routine check-ups. As a matter of fact, there is not one health professional who does not recommend tests. The reason is because tests are the only way to detect an early sign of cancer. While there are many preventative actions you can take to stop cancer, there is no way to avoid cancer completely. Many times cancer is passed hereditarily and no diet can stop it from growing.

Men over the age of 40 should consider a colon cancer screening. This is a process that is necessary for all men who wish to stay healthy throughout their old age. Colon cancer can be deadly if it is not caught early enough. For men who are screened and found to have cancer at an early stage, there are many options for treatment. There are also many methods for the screening. You will want to discuss the methods with your doctor or health specialist.

When it comes to keeping up good health, cancer tests should be at the top of your list. Remember that it doesn’t matter how healthy you are, how good your diet is, or how much you exercise. When it comes to many types of cancer, the only solution is to get tested and to begin treatment when the cancer is at the early stages.

The Causal Relationship Between Cancer and Smoking

2010-07-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

Experts and physician stress the importance of early breast cancer screening tests to treat and even prevent cancer among women. Many types of cancers have been shown to have significant connection to smoking, a common practice in the U.S. among both men and women. The United States Surgeon General's report stated that "Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality in the United States." (1) and this 1982 statement is as true today as it was then. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. Clinical show that more than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer.

According to lung and colon cancer screening experts, about 90,000 men die of lung cancer each year in the United States. About 78,700 lung cancer deaths among men are caused by smoking. This means that smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths among men (2). Statistics also shows that 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women are caused by smoking (2).

Lung cancer is not the only type of cancer that is linked with smoking. Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. Cancer assessment studies indicate smoking is linked with an increased risk of the following cancers: lung, larynx (voice box), oral cavity (mouth, tongue, and lips), pharynx (throat), esophagus (tube connecting the throat to the stomach), stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney, bladder, acute myeloid leukemia (3).

The effect of smoking on each type of cancer is different. According to clinical cancer tests for example, smoking greatly increases the risk of getting and of dying from cancers of the lungs and larynx (voice box). It has a smaller effect on cancer of the cervix.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, and is one of the hardest cancers to treat. It claims more than 150,000 lives each year (3). Smoking is responsible for almost 9 out of 10 lung cancer deaths. It increases the risk of getting lung cancer by the factors of 23 and 12 in men and women respectively (2). Lung cancer kills more people than cancers of the breast, prostate, colon and pancreas combined. There are tens of millions of current, former and secondhand smokers in the United States, all of whom are at high risk for lung cancer (3).

Former smoker or ex-smoker means someone who has smoked more than 100 cigarettes over his or her lifetime but does not now smoke every day or some days (2). Even decades after quitting, the risk of lung cancer in former smokers is increased by the factors of 9 and 5 in men and women respectively (2). It has been shown that the risk of lung cancer in ex-smokers never returns to the rate seen in persons who have never smoked.

Even if a person never smoked he or she might have been exposed to secondhand smoke. It is a mixture of 2 forms of smoke that come from burning tobacco: sidestream smoke (smoke that comes from the end of a lighted cigarette, pipe, or cigar) and mainstream smoke (smoke that is exhaled by a smoker) (4).

Secondhand smoke is classified as a "known human carcinogen" (cancer-causing agent) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization (5).

Scientific evidence indicates that there is no safe amount of secondhand smoke. Breathing even a little secondhand smoke is harmful to your health. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the preeminent U.S. standard-setting body on ventilation issues, has concluded that ventilation technology cannot be relied on to completely control health risks from secondhand smoke exposure (5).

Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in adults who don’t smoke. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for about 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults (5). Breathing in secondhand smoke increases your chances of getting lung cancer by 20 percent to 30 percent. Moreover, concentrations of many cancer-causing and toxic chemicals are potentially higher in secondhand smoke than in the smoke inhaled by smokers.

References:

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking – Cancer: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S, 1982

2. American Cancer Society (ACS), Smoking and Cancer Mortality Table: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_10_2X_Smoking_and_Cancer_Mortality_Table.asp

3. American Cancer Society (ACS), Detailed Guide: Lung Cancer.

4. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA, 2004.

5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA, 2007

6. American Cancer Society (ACS), Detailed Guide: Lung Cancer - How Is Lung Cancer Diagnosed?

Cancer’s Signs and Symptoms

2010-06-11T19:25:00.000-07:00

Although most signs and symptoms arrive in the late stages of cancer, it is still important to know what they are and their respective cancer associate. An early cancer detection test can save your life! A doctor’s evaluation of signs and symptoms can lead to further tests or perhaps nothing at all, which can be the difference between life or death. A sign is a signal which can be seen and measured and indicate that something is not right in the body, and a symptom cannot be seen nor measured. For instance, related to colorectal cancer, blood in the stool is a sign while pain in the abdomen is a symptom.

Unexplained weight loss: Most people with cancer will lose weight at some point. When a person loses weight with no known reason, it's called an unexplained weight loss. An unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds or more may be the first sign of cancer. This happens most often with cancers of the pancreas, stomach, esophagus, or lung.
Fever: Fever is very common with cancer, but it more often happens after cancer has spread from where it started. Almost all patients with cancer will have fever at some time, especially if the cancer or its treatment affects the immune system. This can make it harder for the body to fight infection. Less often, fever may be an early sign of cancer, such as blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma.
Thickening or lump in the breast or other parts of the body: Many cancers can be felt through the skin. These cancers occur mostly in the breast, testicle, lymph nodes (glands), and the soft tissues of the body. A lump or thickening may be an early or late sign of cancer and should be reported to a doctor, especially if you've just found it or notice it has grown in size.
Recent change in a wart or mole or any new skin change: Any wart, mole, or freckle that changes color, size, or shape, or that loses its sharp border should be seen by a doctor right away. Any other skin changes should be reported, too. A skin change may be a melanoma which, if found early, can be treated successfully.
Nagging cough or hoarseness: A cough that does not go away may be a sign of lung cancer. Hoarseness can be a sign of cancer of the voice box (larynx) or thyroid gland.

Treatment works best when cancer is found early. Early cancer detection usually means it can be treated while it is still small and is less likely to have spread to other parts of the body. A cancer screening test can help one to have a better chance for a cure, especially if the cancer can be removed with surgery. The American Cancer Society and other health groups recommend cancer-related check-ups and certain cancer tests for people even though they have no symptoms. This helps find certain cancers early, before symptoms start.

President’s Cancer Panel: the risk of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated

2010-05-31T21:47:00.001-07:00

The President's Cancer Panel was established by the National Cancer Act of 1971. The major goals of the National Cancer Act were to create a national cancer assessment program that significantly expanded the authorities and responsibilities of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), while maintaining it as an institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The most unique aspect of the National Cancer Act was that it provided the NCI director with direct access to the President of the United States. In addition, the act established a three-member panel, the President's Cancer Panel (PCP), which was specifically required to submit an annual report to the President.

Between September 2008 and January 2009, the panel had 4 meetings to evaluate the state of environmental cancer research, policy, and programs addressing the known and potential effects of environmental exposures on cancer. It was due to the fact that the Panel has noted the growing body of research on increased cancer risks associated with various environmental contaminants. Additionally, in previous meeting series addressing other topics, issues concerning possible associations between environmental influences and risk for specific cancers have been raised. Further, public and governmental awareness of environmental influences on health has grown substantially. For these reasons, the PCP concluded that an exploration of the current understanding and emerging science regarding environmental cancer risk would be both informative and timely.

As a result they issued the annual report called: “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk, What We Can Do Now”. They received testimony from 45 invited experts from academia, government, industry, the environmental and cancer advocacy communities, and the public. The major issue addressed was that the risk of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated.

With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the US, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or under-studied and largely unregulated, the report finds that exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread. Yet, the public remains unaware of many of these carcinogens as well as their own level of exposure, especially to many common environmental carcinogens such as radon, formaldehyde and benzene. Don’t forget that a cancer screening test can help detect cancer in the body in its early stages.

The causes of this increase are not known, but as a meeting presenter emphasized, the changes have been too rapid to be of genetic origin. Nor can these increases be explained by the advent of better cancer test techniques such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Increased incidence due to better diagnosis might be expected to cause a one-time spike in rates, but not the steady increases that have occurred in these cancers over a 30-year span. The extent to which environmental exposures are responsible for this trend remains to be determined. However, one can reduce their chances of dying of cancer by taking a cancer screening test.

The Relationship between Cancer and Smoking)

2010-05-12T23:41:00.001-07:00

The 1982 United States Surgeon General's report stated that "Cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality in the United States." This statement is as true today as it was then. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds. More than 60 of these are known or suspected to cause cancer. For example, about 90,000 men die of lung cancer each year in the U.S. About 78,700 lung cancer deaths among men are caused by smoking. This means that the smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths among men. Statistics also shows that 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women are caused by smoking.

Lung cancer is not the only type of cancer that is linked with smoking. Cigarette smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths. It is linked with an increased risk of the following cancers: lung, larynx (voice box), oral cavity (mouth, tongue, and lips), pharynx (throat), esophagus (tube connecting the throat to the stomach), stomach, pancreas, cervix, kidney, bladder, acute myeloid leukemia.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, and is one of the hardest cancers to treat. This is why early cancer detection is especially important in the case of lung cancer. It claims more than 150,000 lives each year. Smoking is responsible for almost 9 out of 10 lung cancer deaths. It increases the risk of getting lung cancer by the factors of 23 and 12 in men and women respectively. Lung cancer kills more people than cancers of the breast, prostate, colon and pancreas combined. There are tens of millions of current, former and secondhand smokers in the United States, all of whom are at high risk for lung cancer. A cancer blood test can help these people immensely.

Non-smokers who breathe in secondhand smoke take in nicotine and other toxic chemicals just like smokers do. Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in adults who don’t smoke. In the United States alone, each year it is responsible for about 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults. Breathing in secondhand smoke increases your chances of getting lung cancer by 20 percent to 30 percent. Moreover, concentrations of many cancer-causing and toxic chemicals are potentially higher in secondhand smoke than in the smoke inhaled by smokers.

Although no current screening guidelines for the lung cancer are established, the American Cancer Society recommends that people who are at increased risk for lung cancer, such as smokers, former smokers, or secondhand smokers, be aware of their lung cancer risk. They should talk to their doctors about their chances of getting lung cancer and the lung cancer screening

Cancer screening blood tests are offered from the private sector to meet the needs of pro-active people who are at increased risk for lung cancer. It is up to the individual to be aware of their lung cancer risk by determining whether she/he belongs to one or more risk groups such as smokers, former smokers, or secondhand smokers and talk to his/her doctor to determine if screening tests should be implemented. If the health care provider does not cover screening tests which are preferred by the patient, other options are available from the private sector to address these needs at the patient’s own cost.

Understanding the Role of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

2010-04-27T02:39:00.001-07:00

In November 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published new guidelines for breast cancer screening by mammograms which sparked controversy on a vital topic to cancer organizations worldwide, the importance of early cancer detection. These new guidelines are a significant shift from those issued in 2002, which at that time, recommended women ages 40 and older to have an annual mammogram. The new recommended ages by the USPSTF to screen women for breast cancer is now 50 and older, leading to many questions on why such a change in policy is necessary.

Immediately after this recommendation from the USPSTF, a statement from Otis W. Brawley, M.D., chief medical official of The American Cancer Society, stated, “The American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual screening using mammography and clinical breast examination for all women beginning at age 40….reasonable experts can look at the same data and reach different conclusions….the Society’s panel found convincing evidence that screening with mammography reduces breast cancer mortality in women ages 40-74…. With its new recommendations, the USPSTF is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives; just not enough of them… The most recent data show us that approximately 17 percent of breast cancer deaths occurred in women who were diagnosed in their 40s.” According to the American Cancer Society’s cancer statistics, this 17% represents approximately 7,000 lives, which will be left at risk once these breast cancer screening test policy changes take effect.

Additional support for breast cancer tests comes from researchers at the University of London, which conducted two studies looking into the risks and benefits of breast cancer screening. The first study predicted the number of women who would have died from breast cancer in Britain without screening. The second study evaluated the number of deaths among 80,000 Swedish women with access to screening programs. The results published in the Journal of Medical Screening showed that for every 28 breast cancer diagnoses between 2 and 2.5 lives were saved. The results from the Swedish study indicated that for every 350 women screened for 10 years for breast cancer, one life would be saved. This research, along with hundreds of other publications, indicates an opportunity for saving lives from further development and implementation of cancer screening.

As stated on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s website (www.ahrq.gov), the USPSTF mission is “to improve the safety, quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.” The recommendations of the USPSTF are considered to be the “gold standard” for clinical preventive services, and are followed by almost every major primary care and federal agency associated with health care. USPSTF recommendations are used in undergraduate and post-graduate medical and nursing education as a key reference for teaching cancer prevention.

So what is the reasoning behind the USPSTF’s breast cancer screening recommendation? False positives can lead to psychological distress, unnecessary imaging tests and biopsies in women without cancer, and inconvenience due to false-positive screening results. Radiation exposure, although a minor concern from mammograms, is also a consideration. The USPSTF recommends that physicians be required to consider additional factors, such as an individual’s personal risk of having cancer, before conducting screening procedures such as mammograms.

It is up to the individual and his/her doctor to determine if screening tests will be implemented. If the health care provider does not cover cancer tests which are preferred by the patient, other options are available from the private sector to address these needs at the patient’s own cost.

The Importance of the Early Detection for Fighting Cancer

2010-04-26T23:56:00.000-07:00

The impact of cancer in the United States in undeniable. Cancer directly affects about one in three women and one in two men in the U.S., with more than 560,000 dying from it each year. It is widely known that the best chance to reduce these fatality numbers is through early detection. There are two major components of early detection of cancer: screening and education to promote early diagnosis.

Regular use of established cancer assessment tests can prevent the development of cancer. Either through identification and removal or treatment abnormalities, screening tests can improve survival and decrease mortality by detecting cancer at an early stage when treatment is more effective. It is important to note that screening refers to testing in individuals who have no symptoms for a particular disease. This makes sense because in many cases symptoms are not present before cancer is diagnosed.

Early cancer detection through a regular screening has been shown to reduce the number of deaths from cancers of the colon and rectum, breast, and uterine cervix. For instance, in addition to detecting cancer early, regular cancer tests can, in many cases, prevent colorectal cancer altogether. This is because some polyps, or growths, can be found and removed before they have the chance to turn into cancer.

Survival rates improve dramatically when cancer is diagnosed early and the disease is confined to the organ of origin. The relative 5-year survival rate for colorectal cancer when diagnosed at an early stage before it has spread is about 90%. But only about 4 out of 10 colorectal cancers are found at that early stage. Once the cancer has spread to nearby organs or lymph nodes, the 5-year relative survival rate goes down, and if cancer has spread to distant organs (like the liver or lung) the rate is about 11%.

A standard 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed; it includes people with colorectal cancer who may die of other causes, such as heart disease. Five-year relative survival rates are adjusted for patients dying of other diseases, so they reflect the chances of not dying specifically from colorectal cancer.

Another striking example is the fact that nine out of 10 women can survive breast cancer simply by detecting it early. Prognosis of a breast cancer depends largely upon its stage and grade at diagnosis, 5-year survival rates ranging from 84% in women diagnosed with Stage 1 disease to 18% in women with Stage 4 disease.

Education to promote early diagnosis should encompass the increased awareness of new cancer tests and possible warning signs of cancer, among physicians, nurses and other health care providers as well as among the general public. People without symptoms or special risks need to be aware of these screening methodologies and to be sure they are communicated to the physician.

National organizations such as American Cancer Society (ACS), National Cancer Institute (NCI), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) are dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service