Mercy Cancer Services
Screening Tests
A screening test is performed to detect potential health disorders or
diseases in persons who do not have any symptoms of disease. The goal is
early detection and lifestyle changes or surveillance, to reduce the
risk of disease, or to detect it early enough to treat it most
effectively.
Certain groups are targeted for screening or testing
to further understand the risk factors, development, and progression of
a disease. This may include persons with a family history of a disease;
persons with occupational exposure to a disease-causing substance; and
persons who because of age and other characteristics are encourage to
have a screening test as part of their annual wellness physical.
When is a screening test helpful? What makes
a screening test valuable is its ability to detect potential problems.
While screening tests are not 100 percent accurate in all cases, it is
more valuable to have the screening tests at the appropriate times, as
recommended by your physician, than to not have them at all.
Be sure to consult your physician regarding the
appropriate timing and frequency of all screening tests, based on your
age, overall health, and medical history. The following are some
examples of common screening tests:
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Fecal occult blood is detected by microscopic
analysis or by chemical tests for hemoglobin (blood) in the stool.
Persons with blood in their stool may have a cancerous growth
indicative of colorectal cancer. The test requires collection of
three stool samples that are examined under the microscope for the
presence of blood. It is important to understand that when blood is
present in a stool sample, it can be due to other non-cancerous
factors such as certain medications or foods, gastrointestinal
bleeding, or hemorrhoids.
-
Colonoscopy is a procedure that allows the
physician to view the entire length of the large intestine, and can
often help identify abnormal growths, inflamed tissue, ulcers, and
bleeding. It involves inserting a colonoscope, a long, flexible,
lighted tube, in through the rectum up into the colon. The
colonoscope allows the physician to see the lining of the colon,
remove tissue for further examination, and possibly treat some
problems that are discovered.
-
Pap test (also called Pap smears) are samples of
cells taken from the cervix to look for cellular changes indicative
of cervical cancer. The Pap smear is an important screening test to
detect cancer at a stage when the disease is often without symptoms.
It is important to understand that a Pap smear may be referred to as
"abnormal," but may not mean that a person has cervical cancer.
-
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) This blood test
measures the prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in the blood.
Antigens are any substances that evoke responses from a person's
immune system. The prostate specific antigen levels can be elevated
in the presence of prostate cancer. However, it is important to
understand that other benign prostate conditions may also elevate
PSA, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Consult your physician regarding other types of
screening tests, based on your medical condition, as not all healthcare
providers are in agreement in regard to which screening tests should be
performed and for which age groups.
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