Cancer Sometimes Can Be Detected Before It Causes Symptoms

Checking for cancer in people who do not show any symptoms is known as screening. Early screening enables doctors to treat cancer effectively because cancer treatment is more successful if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage. However, it is to be noted that not all types of cancer can undergo screening tests and a few of these tests are only conducted on people with specific genetic risks.

It is very important to understand the fact that when a cancer screening test is suggested by a doctor it does not necessarily mean that the test will show a positive result. Cancer Screening tests are done even when patients show no signs of cancer.

There are different types of cancer screening tests.

• Physical exam and history: when receiving a physical examination a general body check is done to look for abnormal signs including lumps or anything else that seems a bit unusual to the doctor. They take into consideration the basic habits of a patient, past illnesses and family history for better analysis.
  • Laboratory Test: This procedure tests samples of blood, tissue, urine and other substances in the body.
  • Imaging procedure: This procedure generates pictures or areas within the body.
  • Genetic Test: This tests look for certain changes in the genes that are associated with some types of cancer.