Summary of Cancer Awareness Talk given by Dr Nilesh Vora Cancer Talks / Nalini Shah Cancer Talks Date: Jun 21, 2009 - 01:07 AM Cancer Screening and Prevention: Highlights of Cancer Awareness Talk given by Dr. Nilesh Vora on May 3, 2009 Cancer does not occur only to people who have family history of cancer, it can occur to anyone. Cancer does not necessarily strike to people who smoke, drink alcohol or do drugs. Cancer may occur to people who feel well and have never gone to doctor. Therefore screening/tests should be done regularly as prescribed by American Cancer Society, even if there are no symptoms like weight loss or any other sickness. There are multiple causes for cancer and usually 4th mutation of cells generates cancerous cells. Health Life Style may lessen the chances of cancer. Symptoms and Screening Recommendations: Breast Cancer: Mammograms yearly for Age 40. Upper age not clearly specified. For families having cancer history, thus at high risk, should have mammogram done at 10 years younger age than youngest age case diagnosed in the family. Early Stage Breast Cancer and locally advanced breast cancer is curative. Early cancer may not have any symptoms. Correctly done self breast exam may help women notice tumors but professional examination is highly recommended. Ultrasound screening may be better option for younger women at high risk for breast cancer. Colon Cancer: There may not be any symptoms or there could be bleeding from rectum, blood in stool, change in shape (pencil thin) or consistency of stool , abdominal pain, weight loss. Digital Rectal Exam, Fecal Occult Test, Double contrast Enema, flexible Sigmoidoscopy and Colonoscopy are recommended for screening. Begin at 50 or 10 years younger than a first degree relative when he/she was diagnosed with colon cancer. Prostate Cancer: Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test and Digital Rectal Exam are recommended as tests. Early stage cancer is curative, late stage is not curative. This article comes from Anekant Community Center http://www.anekant.net/ The URL for this story is: http://www.anekant.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=25