Cancer screenings can detect cancer early, making it easier to treat. Screenings can even help you prevent cancer.
Lynn Cancer Institute uses the latest technologies to detect cancer and help you lower the risk of developing cancer to begin with. We offer screening options for a range of different cancer types that follow guidelines from the American Cancer Society.
Breast cancer screening
We offer the following breast cancer screening services:
Mammograms
Starting around age 40, women receive regular mammograms, or X-ray images of the breast. However, if you have a family history of breast cancer, you may want to start getting mammograms earlier.
We offer digital mammography tools, which allow our specialists to take clearer images of breast tissue and detect cancer early.
Annual breast exams
Breast exams help detect signs of breast cancer. We recommend getting an annual exam from your healthcare provider, starting around menstruation. They will check your breasts by hand to look for lumps or abnormalities. We also recommend monthly self-exams at home.
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer screening
We offer the following GI cancer screening services:
Colon (colorectal) cancer screening
Colon cancer is a common type of GI cancer. Starting around age 45, you should get screened for colon cancer. However, you should begin regular screening earlier if you have a high risk of colon cancer.
We use the following tests for colon cancer screening:
- High-sensitivity fecal occult blood test, which looks for hidden blood in the stool, is recommended every 1-2 years
- Stool DNA test, which checks stool samples for signs of DNA mutations that could indicate cancer, is recommended every 3 years
- Colonoscopy, which uses a small camera to examine parts of the large and small bowel, is recommended every 10 years
- Computed tomography (CT) colonography (or virtual colonoscopy), which takes images of the colon, is recommended every 5 years
- Sigmoidoscopy, which involves using a small device to examine the lower part of your colon, is recommended every 3-5 years
Lung cancer screening
We offer CT imaging scans to help detect lung cancer early. These screenings are available for people who:
- Are 50 to 80 years old
- Smoke or have quit smoking in the past 15 years
- Have a history of heavy smoking (about a pack a day for 20 years)
Skin cancer screening
Regular skin cancer screening exams are important, especially for people with a history of skin cancer or who have health conditions that could put them at higher risk of skin cancer.
The skin cancer and dermatological specialists at our Multidisciplinary Skin Cancer Clinic offer advanced imaging techniques to help detect skin cancer. These include:
- 3D VECTRA Imaging, which creates a map of the skin without radiation that helps your doctor watch for changes to your skin over time
- Reflectance Confocal Microscopy (RCM), which uses a low-power laser to find skin lesions that may need further testing
Prostate cancer screening
We also offer the following prostate cancer screening services:
- Digital rectal exams
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test
Men ages 55 and older should talk to their healthcare providers about how frequently they should have a prostate exam.
Gynecological cancer screening
We offer the following gynecological cancer screening services:
Pap smear & HPV test
We recommend Pap smears and HPV testing for the following age groups:
- Women ages 21-29: Pap smear every three years
- Women ages 30-65: HPV test every five years, a Pap test every three years or both tests every five years.
- Women over age 65: You do not need these screenings if you received regular cancer screenings for cervical cancer in the last 10 years.
Ultrasounds and blood tests (for ovarian cancer)
Women with a high risk of ovarian cancer may benefit from transvaginal ultrasounds or blood tests about every six months to a year.
Women at high risk of ovarian cancer include women with BRCA mutations, Lynch syndrome or a family history of either breast or ovarian cancer.