Protect Your Skin
Learn more about daily sun safety on our Henry Ford LiveWell blog.
Cancer screenings are exams that are done when you're healthy. Many cancers can be treated successfully, or at least kept in check, if caught early enough. We offer a full range of screening tests to identify all types of cancer. Find out what screening tests are right for you based on the guidelines below and by talking with your doctor.
You will receive a breast exam during yearly check-ups with your primary care doctor. Let your doctor know immediately if you notice any changes or lumps in your breasts.
Unless there is a family history or additional personal risk for breast cancer, yearly mammograms should begin at age 40.
You can schedule a mammogram online, through MyChart or by phone:
Learn more about breast cancer screenings.
Female cancers usually cause no symptoms or show vague symptoms until the cancer has progressed to an advanced stage. This makes screening tests especially important. Many times, women mistake them for symptoms of a digestive problem or another gynecological condition.
Women ages 21-39 should have a gynecological (also called a pelvic exam) exam every three years with a primary care provider or gynecologist. During the exam, there are four screening tests:
A pap test and HPV (human papillomavirus) DNA test should be given every five years from age 30-65.
Doctors may suggest more frequent screenings for women with certain risk factors, such as:
Learn more about women’s gynecological screenings.
Contact your primary care doctor or gynecologist to schedule a gynecological exam.
Starting at age 45, men and women should be checked for signs of colon cancer. Talk with your doctor about your personal and family history and what colon cancer screening schedule is best for you.
Screenings may include:
If any test besides the colonoscopy comes back positive, a colonoscopy should be performed.
Learn more about colon and rectal cancer screenings.
If you are a current or former smoker, you’re at risk for lung cancer.
To be eligible for lung cancer screening, you must:
If you are at risk and would like to schedule a lung screening, fill out our online form or call your physician’s office for help scheduling at appointment.
We follow the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommendations for prostate cancer screening. Men should make an informed decision with their health care provider about whether to be screened for prostate cancer. The decision should be made after getting information about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening. Men should not be screened unless they have received this information. The discussion about screening should take place at:
Learn more about prostate cancer screenings.
Contact your primary care doctor to schedule a prostate screening.
The Cancer Genetics Program provides genetic counseling and testing to people with a personal and/or family history of cancer. Although most cancers occur by chance, about 5-10 percent of cancer cases are hereditary, meaning they run in the family. The purpose of this program is to inform those people at risk for hereditary cancers so they can learn more about genetic testing, cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment.
Everyone, no matter their age, should have regular checkups to identify risk factors and problems before they become serious. These exams should include health counseling and, depending on a person’s age and gender, exams for cancers of the:
About half of cancer deaths can be avoided with healthy lifestyle choices. Together with Henry Ford Health, you can learn about the best ways to keep your mind and body healthy, and decrease your chances of getting cancer.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet to prevent obesity and support a strong immune system. Both lower your risk for cancer. Henry Ford Health has resources that can help you achieve these goals:
Stay active. Talk to your doctor about the types of exercise that are right for you. The Henry Ford Disease Prevention through Exercise and Education program (PREVENT) is a medically supervised exercise program that can help improve your health and fitness in a safe and supportive atmosphere. With many locations throughout Southeast Michigan, our trained clinical staff will provide you with:
Smoking can increase your risk for many kinds of cancer. Our quit-tobacco programs are based on years of research and experience. They can provide the treatment needed to overcome physical, emotional, and social dependency on tobacco products, in either a group setting or a one-on-one phone consultation.
If you don't have insurance, or your insurance won't cover our tobacco cessation programs, the Michigan Tobacco Quitline provides proactive telephone-based counseling and, in some cases, nicotine patches.
Cigarettes are not the only type of tobacco that can cause cancer. Read more about how tobacco alternatives can increase your risk for cancer.
Due to our long winters, Michigan residents need to be cautious about two specific risk factors for skin cancer -- low vitamin D levels and increased tanning bed use. Avoid using tanning beds, and talk to your doctor or dermatologist about how to avoid low vitamin D levels. When outside during more pleasant Michigan seasons, practice sun safety:
Ask your primary care physician to perform a skin cancer check at all your regular check-ups. The American Academy of Dermatology has some great resources about protecting your skin from the sun and identifying skin cancer.
Contracting the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease, can increase your risk of having cervical cancer in the future.
The HPV vaccine is approved for everyone ages 9 to 26. All children, including boys, should receive the vaccine prior to age 13.
Contact the cancer team 24/7 by calling
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