Though melanoma is curable, early detection can be the difference between life and death. Everyone over forty should schedule an annual screening with their dermatologist to check for skin cancer. If your dermatologist notices an area that causes alarm, a biopsy will be done on the suspicious tissue. A pathologist will then examine the tissue and determine whether the sample is benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancerous). Like most cancers, early detection is key for skin cancer, so make sure you stay up to date with your dermatology …show more content…
A mammogram is a painless, x-ray picture of the breast that can detect malignant tumors that may otherwise go unnoticed. Women who have a family history of breast cancer should consult their doctors and consider beginning their annual screenings at a much younger age.
Women over forty should also continue seeing their gynecologist. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer for women and usually cannot be detected outside of a gynecological exam. If you have not been to the gynecologist for years, expect your doctor to spend some time discussing your health and performing both external and internal examinations.
Get Checked for Colon Cancer
Behind breast and lung cancer, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and cause of cancer mortality. A colonoscopy is the most thorough screening to find polyps and cancers and may result in their immediate removal and biopsy. A colonoscopy usually does not need to be performed until you are fifty, but if you have a family history of colorectal cancer, your doctor may advise you to be screened