Public, Patients, and Advocates

Cancer Early Detection

The number of people living beyond a cancer diagnosis reached nearly 14.5 million in 2014 and is expected to rise to almost 19 million by 2024. With approximately 39.6 percent of men and women being diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes (based on 2010-2012 data), early detection has become a cornerstone to maximizing chances of successful treatment.

Early detection means screening to find cancers early, before they have had a chance to grow and spread. Cancer screenings are medical tests done when you’re healthy, with no signs of illness. They help find cancer when the chances for successfully treating the disease are greatest.

Screening tests may vary for each cancer type. Common tests include the following procedures:

Physical Exams by a Physician

A physician may perform a physical exam of your body to check general signs of health, tailored to your age. This may include checking for lumps, examining the skin and eyes, listening to the heart or lungs or just checking for anything that seems unusual. Depending on your age or sex, part of your cancer screening may include breast, rectal, pelvic, or testicle examination.

Self-examinations

Regular self examinations are recommended as you are most familiar with your own body.

Diagnostic Imaging Examinations

Imaging enables doctors to see inside of your body. Combined with your medical history and other tests, imaging can play a large role in cancer detection and diagnosis. Typical imaging tests may include X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, or CT Scan, among others.

Biopsies

A biopsy is the removal of tissue or cells from the body to be used in the identification of cancers. Doctors will review the tissue sample under the microscope where the cell type, size, and cell arrangement are categorized in order to make a cancer diagnosis, or rule it out. Some types of biopsies include needle biopsies, scoped biopsies, as well as biopsies taken from the skin or from organs during open surgery (laparotomy).

Laboratory Tests

These are common medical procedures that test samples of blood, urine, or other bodily substances.

Laboratory tests may also include biomarker testing. For more information about biomarkers, click the Biomarker tab on the left.

Lung Cancer Early Detection Program

At this time, lung cancer screening is recommended only for adults at high risk. That’s because they have a higher chance of getting the disease.

Being at high risk doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get lung cancer. But, you may need to start regular screening exams. So if you do get cancer, your doctor finds it at its earliest stage. When found early, the chances for successfully treating the disease are greatest.

You should get screened for lung cancer if you:

• Are a current smoker (or former smoker who quit in the past 15 years)

• Have a 30 pack-year smoking history (For example, one pack a day for 30 years or two packs a day for 15 years).

If you fall into this group, follow the screening schedule below:

Age 55 to 74

• Low-dose computerized tomography (CT or CAT scan) every year

Check with your insurance provider before scheduling an exam. Not all insurance providers cover the cost of this exam.

Still unsure if lung cancer screening is right for you? Print and share MD Anderson’s lung cancer screening chart with your doctor.

Along with regular exams, practice awareness. This means you should be familiar with your body. That way you’ll notice changes, like a cough that doesn’t go away or chest pain. Then, report them to your doctor without delay.

The screening plan on this page applies to adults expected to live for at least 10 years. They’re not for adults who have a health condition that may make it hard to diagnose or treat lung cancer. Your doctor can help you decide if you should continue screening after age 74.

Interested in enrolling in a lung cancer early detection research trial? Click titles below to learn more information about each trial.

Biospecimen Banking and Biomarker Validation for Lung Cancer Early Detection in Cohort Receiving Low Dose Helical Computed Tomography Screening

About Biomarkers

What are Biomarkers?

Biomarkers are substances that are produced by cancer or by other cells of the body in response to cancer or certain benign (noncancerous) conditions. These substances can be found in the blood, urine, stool, tumor tissue, or other tissues or bodily fluids of some patients with cancer.

With 5-10% of all cancers having been inherited, patterns of gene expression and changes to DNA have also begun to be used as biomarkers. Mutations in specific genes are passed from one blood relative to another creating a greater chance of developing cancer in their lifetime and at an earlier age.

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