Cancer screening
Cancer screening
Cancer screening (/ˈkænsər ˈskriːnɪŋ/) refers to the use of simple tests across a healthy population in order to identify individuals who have disease, but do not yet have symptoms.
Etymology
The term "screening" comes from the idea of a "screen" which sifts out unwanted material, and here it refers to the detection of diseases. The term "cancer" (/ˈkænsər/) is derived from the Latin cancer meaning "crab" or "creeping ulcer" because of the crab-like spread of an invasive cancer in the human body.
Types of Cancer Screening
There are several types of cancer screening tests. These include:
- Mammography: This is the process of using low-energy X-rays to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening.
- Pap test: A procedure to test for cervical cancer in women involving collecting cells from the cervix.
- Colonoscopy: This is an exam used to detect changes or abnormalities in the large intestine (colon) and rectum.
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test: A blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer.
Benefits and Risks
Cancer screening can help protect your health through early detection, even if you don’t have any symptoms of the disease. Early detection can often lead to more effective treatment. However, all screening tests have potential risks, so it's important to discuss these with your doctor.
Related Terms
- Preventive healthcare: Measures taken for disease prevention.
- Diagnostic test: A procedure performed to confirm, or determine the presence of disease in an individual suspected of having the disease.
- Biopsy: A medical test commonly performed by a surgeon, interventional radiologist, or an interventional cardiologist involving extraction of sample cells or tissues for examination to determine the presence or extent of a disease.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Cancer screening
- Wikipedia's article - Cancer screening
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