Cancer Screening Services in Falls Church, VA
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An early detection can save lives, and to identify if there’s an underlying issue within your cells, a cancer screening is key. For most types of cancer-related health problems, chances of survival are much higher when detected and treated as early as possible. If you are in Falls Church, VA, book your cancer screening consultation with CareLife Medical and start understanding how preventative care can help you.
Cancer Screening: Learn About It
A cancer screening is a medical test performed on asymptomatic patients who want to detect if there’s any cancerous cells in their body at an early stage, so they can get the treatment they need before it reaches a severe state. Polyps, abnormal cell changes and tumors can be identified through a cancer screening, whether it’s a mammogram, an HPV test or a colonoscopy.
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Why Cancer Screening Tests Matter
Detecting Precancerous Conditions
A cancer screening can detect a precancerous condition or an abnormal cell before it fully develops into cancer. By approaching these tell-tale signs, you can successfully prevent this condition from forming.
Better Quality of Life
An early detection of cancer helps you avoid the more invasive treatments that are needed when the disease is at a late stage. Procedures and testings like chemotherapies, radiation and surgeries can be aggressive and cause severe side effects in patients.
Boosting Awareness and Prevention
Staying informed about the importance of cancer screenings is a form of health awareness. When you’re proactive about these testings, other people can become interested about the risk factors and warning signs of cancer, promoting healthy and preventative lifestyle changes.
What Are the Different Types of Cancer Screenings?
Cancer comes in different types, which means that they require different diagnoses depending on the area where the cancerous cells develop. These following screenings are also recommended based on your age, gender, family history and risk factors:
Bowel Cancer Screening
Also known as colorectal cancer, it often starts as small polyps appearing in the large intestine, with no visible symptoms during the early stage. Bowel cancer screenings are recommended for patients between the ages of 50 and 80, but your doctor could recommend it to acquire it earlier depending on your family history. Options for screening include colonoscopy (either traditional or virtual via CT scan), or the FIT stool test.
Breast Cancer Screening
Breast cancer screenings like mammograms every 3 years are recommended for women above the age of 40, but depending on your risk factors like having a family history of breast cancer, you could need to get one earlier or more frequently. If you’re a high-risk patient, you may require an MRI.
Cervical Cancer Screening
Also known as a smear test, this screening is an important preventive tool to identify early-stage cervical cancer. A persistent infection of human papillomavirus with high-risk strains can quickly develop this type of cancer, making this screening ultimately necessary for women from the ages 25 to 50, requiring it every three years. For women between the ages of 50 and 65, screenings are recommended every five years. And for those who are 65 and older, they will be typically screened in case of having abnormal results from other tests.
Prostate Cancer Screening
Prostate cancer symptoms like back pain and complications when urinating can be aggressive for some patients, making early detection through screening a priority. Current guidelines indicate that men over the age of 50 should be consulting their GP about getting screened, yet for high-risk patients this conversation may start before. Prostate cancer screenings can be either in the form of prostate-specific antigen test (PSA),or a digital rectal exam.
Book Your Cancer Screening Appointment With Dr. Fatima Aziz, M.D
If you’re in search of a healthcare professional in Falls Church, VA to handle your preventative care worries, Dr. Fatima Aziz M. D is ready to assess your symptoms. She is a board-certified internist who is committed to offering primary and preventive healthcare services, managing her patients’ health with personalized treatments and support. At CareLife Medical, she uses modern technology and combines it with her medical expertise to conduct physical exams and screenings for her adult patients, along with creating relationships based on trust and support with them, providing the compassion that every health journey requires. Book your appointment with Dr. Aziz by contacting us or visiting us in Falls Church, VA.