MSK guidelines explain cancer screening tests and when people should have them. These are general recommendations for cancer screening tests. The best way to know which cancer screening tests are right for you is to know your risk for cancer.
Why you should know your risk for cancer
Your cancer risk means your likely chances of getting a type of cancer. Many things can raise your risk for cancer, such as:
- Your health history.
- Your family health history.
- Your age.
- Your genes (DNA).
- Your lifestyle (diet, tobacco use, alcohol, and exercise).
Knowing your risk will help you:
- Understand which cancer screening tests you need.
- Know when to start screening.
- Take steps to lower your cancer risk.
How to know your risk for cancer
Your healthcare provider will ask you questions about your health. They will ask about your family history. This is health information about close relatives (like your father, mother, sisters, or brothers) related to you by blood, not marriage. Sometimes the questions are asked as part of a survey.
Your answers to these questions can help to define your risk for cancer. It’s an estimate of how likely it is that you may get cancer.
Genetic testing is another way to get information about your risk for some types of cancer. Genetic testing looks at your DNA to see if you were born with changes (mutations or variants) in genes. These changes can raise your chances of getting cancer. Genetic testing does not look for cancer. It only tests for changes in genes that may lead to cancer.
MSK’s Clinical Genetics Service has experts who can help you understand and lower your cancer risk.
Cancer screening
Cancer screening means checking for cancer in people who have no symptoms. Screening can help find cancer early, when it’s easier to treat.
Cancer screening tests can include:
- Imaging, such as mammograms and CT scans.
- Lab tests, such as blood and stool (poop) tests.
- Procedures, such as colonoscopies and Pap smear tests.
- A physical exam.
Each screening test has benefits and risks. Experts agree that for most people, screenings have more benefits than risks.
MSK’s cancer screening guidelines help you know which screening tests to have and when to get them. Screening can save lives by lowering the chance of dying from cancer. You can take steps to stay healthy by following these screening guidelines and knowing your risk for cancer.