About Cancer

Preventive Care

Cancer Screening

Are YOU At Risk? Be Screened! Early Detection Saves Lives!

Cancer is the No. 1 killer in today's affluent societies. To safeguard your health, make sure you include regular cancer screenings as a part of your healthcare plan.

Early Detection of Cancer Helps.

Not all cancers are noticeable at the early stages. Cancers deep in the body are not easily detected unless special examinations and check-ups are undertaken consistently.

This means routine cancer-related check-ups are your best means of detecting cancers early. Although many cancers cannot be prevented, death can be prevented through early detection.

When a cancerous tumour grows, it goes through an initial phase when it is small in size. If we can detect the cancer at this early stage, it probably has not spread elsewhere and hence it is easier to treat.

Besides being easier to treat, there are several other advantages for detecting a cancer early:

• Better survival
• Less mutilating surgery
• Less toxic chemotherapy or avoiding chemotherapy altogether
• Less expensive treatment
• A person can feel more reassured if no cancer is detected by screening

However, a single negative screen does not mean that an individual is free of cancer for life. In order for screening to be effective, you should repeat it at regular intervals.

When and How to Screen for Cancer?

As cancer is more common in the older age group, cancer screening is generally recommended for people above 40 years of age. People who belong to a high risk group, such as those with a family history of cancer, should consider starting screening in their 30s.

Screening tests vary from determination of tumour markers in blood, X-rays and interventional methods of endoscopy. Click here to read more on Screening Tests for Various Types of Common Cancers.

In addition to regular screening tests and physical examinations, you should also watch out for these eight warning signs of cancer on a daily basis:

• A sore that refuses to heal
• A lump or thickening in the breast or elsewhere
• Any unusual bleeding or discharge
• Any change in normal bowel habits
• Any change in a mole or a wart
• Persistent indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
• Persistent hoarseness of voice or cough
• Onset of impaired hearing, with persistent noise in the same ear

These signs do not always mean cancer but if they persist, see a doctor at once.

CALL our CanHOPE counsellors: +65 67389333 or e-mail: enquiry@canhope.org