Screening Guidelines for Cancer

Health & Wellbeing

September 28, 2021

This post is part of the series:

Cancer Screening American Cancer Society Screening Guidelines
Breast Cancer Mammography
  • Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms.
  • Women age 45 to 54 should get mammograms annually.
  • Women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years or can continue yearly screening.
Colon and Rectal Cancer Highly sensitive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year.

Highly sensitive guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) every year.

Multi-targeted stool DNA test (mt-sDNA) every 3 years.

Colonoscopy every 10 years.

CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG) every 5 years.
  • Start regular screening at age 45.
  • People who are in good health and with a life expectancy of more than 10 years should continue regular colorectal cancer screening through the age of 75.
  • For people ages 76 through 85, the decision to be screened should be based on a person’s preferences, life expectancy, overall health, and prior screening history.
  • People over 85 should no longer get colorectal cancer screening.
Cervical Cancer Pap smear

HPV DNA Test

Acetic acid wash visualization test
  • Screen for early cervical cancer in women who have been sexually active and have a cervix.
  • Begin screening within 3 years of onset of sexual activity or age 21 (whichever comes first) and annually until age 30, wherein upon 3 consecutive normal Pap smear results may be screened every 2 to 3 years.
  • People between the ages of 25 and 65 should get a primary HPV (human papillomavirus) test done every 5 years. If a primary HPV test is not available, a co-test (an HPV test with a Pap test) every 5 years or a Pap test every 3 years are still good options.
  • People over age 65 who have had regular cervical cancer testing in the past 10 years with normal results should not be tested for cervical cancer. Once testing is stopped, it should not be started again.
  • Those with a history of a serious cervical pre-cancer should continue to be tested for at least 25 years after that diagnosis, even if testing goes past age 65.
  • People whose cervix has been removed by surgery for reasons not related to cervical cancer or serious pre-cancer should not be tested.
  • People who have been vaccinated against HPV should still follow the screening recommendations for their age groups.
Lung Cancer Low-Dose CT Scan (LDCT) Yearly lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan (LDCT) for certain people at higher risk for lung cancer who meet the following conditions:
  • Are aged 55 to 74 years and in fairly good health;
  • Currently smoke or have quit smoking in the past 15 years;
  • Have at least a 30 pack-year smoking history. (A pack-year is 1 pack of cigarettes per day per year. One pack per day for 30 years or 2 packs per day for 15 years would both be 30 pack-years.)
Prostate Cancer Prostate-specific antigen test with or without a digital rectal exam
  • Starting at age 50, men should talk to a health care provider about the pros and cons of testing so they can decide if testing is the right choice for them.
  • If you are African American or have a father or brother who had prostate cancer before age 65, you should consult with a health care provider starting at age 45.
Endometrial Cancer ---
  • At the time of menopause, all women should be told about the risks and symptoms of endometrial cancer. Women should report any unexpected vaginal bleeding or spotting to their doctors.

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