ADULT HEALTH MILESTONES FOR CANCER PREVENTION

BY DEBORAH JEANNE SERGEANT

Most parents keep up to date with their children’s health milestones, such as regular checkups and scheduled routine vaccinations. However, as people hit middle adulthood, they have their own health milestones to consider for preventing cancer.

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy can detect polyps that could become cancerous. Providers can remove these polyps before that even happens, thereby preventing colorectal cancer.

“There seems to be some confusion surrounding colonoscopies,” said Heather McGrane Minton, Ph.D., at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, assistant professor of nursing and director of public health program. “The most recent guidelines recommend beginning colorectal cancer screening at age 45.”

Mammography

Mammograms can help women’s healthcare providers detect abnormal tissue which may be cancerous. The age to begin is typically 45, “but those between the ages of 40 to 44 years may opt for a mammogram if they wish to,” Minton said. “This has implications for insurance companies.”

André Forcier, who earned a Master of Health Administration and is the assistant vice president of Physician Network Finger Lakes Health, noted that the U.S. Preven- tative Services Task Force “recommends screening for breast cancer in women ages 50 to 74 years old every two years.”

Forcier added that early detection can improve efficacy of the treatment. Beginning mammograms at age 35 for a baseline image can help providers look at irregularities with greater discernment.

“It can help the radiologist compare images from your future mammograms to reduce the risk of false positives,” said Hannah Farley, manager of promotion, education and targeted outreach for Cancer Services Program of the Finger Lakes Region and Center for Community Health & Prevention at FF Thompson Hospital. “Family history or a genetic indicator or mutation like BRCA1 or -2 can indicate higher risk. Get screened younger. That could be as young as age 28.”

Although women with no family history of breast cancer may feel they can skip mammograms, Farley advises against that line of thought, as most women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have the disease in their family health history and one in eight women will receive a diagnosis in her lifetime.

“If caught early, it’s less likely to be deadly and will respond more to treatment,” Farley said.

Pap Smears

Performed every three years beginning at age 21, the Pap smear can detect cervical cancer. Farley recommends that unless they have had a hysterectomy, women con- tinue receiving the test through age 65.

Starting at age 30, an HPV screening for high-risk patients can also detect cervical cancer. Farley said that HPV causes more than 90% of cervical cancers.

“If HPV is not found, you don’t have to come back for another five years for that screening,” she said. “If found, that patient will be followed more closely to ensure cervical cancer does not develop or that it’s caught early.”

Patients should also check with their health insurance carrier to ensure the screening procedure is covered. For those who are underinsured or uninsured, area clinics can provide no- or low-cost services. The county’s public health department or a healthcare provider can recommend clinics that can help.

“If you are underinsured or don’t have health insurance and that prevents you from getting a screening, we help pay for those screening services for breast, cervical and colorectal if you meet eligibility guidelines of age, and if you say you cannot pay for the services,” Farley said of Cancer Services Program of the Finger Lakes. “We encourage people to get screened as early prevention and detection save us a lot in the long run. It’s not just money.”

Of course, any of these timelines may be affected by a number of factors, including personal and family health history, detected genetic anomalies and the doctor’s and patient’s own comfort level. Everyone should discuss these issues with a provider before making health screening decisions.