Cancer Prevention… It’s Important

Ladies please go and get your mammograms and pap smears.  I know it sucks but they are important.

At the age of 40 you should get your first screening mammogram. These are annual exams and will greatly help in detecting cancers in the breast!

At the age of 21 you should get your first pap smear. If your first pap smear is normal then this is an every 3 year visit. If it is abnormal it will be a yearly visit.

Men’s prostate health is important. At the age of 50 see your PCP to get your blood drawn to check your PSA. This screening will help detect prostate cancer which risk increases between 45-50 years of age.

EVERYONE, colonoscopies should be done when you get to the age of 45. This is screening you for colorectal cancers. These kinds of cancers show somewhat of a genetic component so if you have had a first degree relative with a type of colorectal cancer your PCP may ask you to go earlier for your screenings. Good news though if you have a clean screening you don’t have to get screened again for another 5-10 years.

The HPV vaccine is offered to people from 13-45 in age. This vaccine is helping decrease the occurrence of cervical cancer in women and head/neck/throat cancers in men. Please speak to your PCP for more information about this vaccine.

As always if you need us for your urgent care needs, we are here Monday through Saturday 8am to 8pm. We take walk-ins, so no appointment is needed.

By: Elena Jamscek, PA-C