From 
Del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
StumbleUpon
TwitThisIn the pipeline: Advances in cancer screening
Beyond cancer: 3 other ways you could be overtreated
Ask Shannon Brownlee your questions about cancer screening tests
Screening Might Be Right for You If ...
- You have a family history. If you have close relatives with cancer, your own risk of developing it may be above average. Generally, only immediate relatives (mother, father, sibling, child) count toward your family history.
- You know you have a risky mutation. The BRCA1 and 2 mutations are known to increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Other mutations have been tied to colon cancer.
- You've already had cancer. One bout slightly increases your odds of developing another, unrelated cancer.
Think Twice Before Getting Screened If ...
- You have another serious illness. Having heart disease or suffering a stroke increases the odds that you'll die before an undetected cancer could cause symptoms.
- You're under 50 or over 70. There's less evidence to support getting screened in your 40s, when cancer risk is low. After 70, the possible benefit from early treatment should be weighed against the chance that it will make life less enjoyable or more painful.
- You're frail. If you can't withstand treatment, it may not be useful to undergo a screening test.
- You're particularly afraid of being harmed by treatment you don't need.
From Reader's Digest - April 2009
Additional Reporting by Heather Harris
9 Medical Myths Busted
Video: How to Eat Healthy While Traveling
10 Great Gift Book Ideas
How to Cope With a Depressed Spouse
Joke: I was leading a tour through Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico…
Advertisement 
