Cancer Screenings at Your Well-Woman’s Appointment

A gynecologist’s well-woman visit always includes a cancer check. At your gynecologist’s office, she can perform a breast exam, Pap test, and colonoscopy to check for cancer. Breast, cervical, and rectal cancers can all be detected using these. In the United States, women should see a gynecologist every year, and girls should begin seeing one between the ages of 13 and 15 years old.

To detect breast cancer, your physician examines the breasts for lumps or swollen lymph nodes as well as changes in the skin. Regular home self-breast exams are also encouraged, but a professional exam is always preferred. A self-breast exam can be performed at home in between appointments if you ask your doctor how. Be sure to consult your physician as soon as you discover a lump in your breast while at home.

Preventative cancer screenings are critical for women’s health, even if they follow a healthy diet and engage in regular physical activity. It is important for patients to regard tests as an investment in their future, as early detection of cancer increases the likelihood of a positive outcome. If you or a family member has had cancer in the past, be sure to tell your doctor about it when you see him or her. Counseling in cancer genetics may be recommended by your doctor, who can look for gene variants that raise your lifetime chance of acquiring certain cancers. In the event that a gene mutation is found, you will be better educated about your own risks, and more aggressive yearly screening may be suggested.