Should I be screened?

We often only go to our doctor when we are sick or hurt, but following preventive screening recommendations can help your doctor find cancer when it is most curable. Finding cancer early gives you more time to make choices about your care and talk with your doctor and loved ones about treatment options.

Currently, about half of all cancers are not found until they are advanced and harder to treat¹. This means cancer can have a head start in your battle against it. That is why early cancer screenings are important. The facts below give you more insight into the benefits and limits of routine cancer screenings².

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) makes recommendations on ways to prevent disease and improve the lives of people nationwide. The USPSTF is made up of experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine from across the country. They make recommendations based on the most up-to-date scientific evidence.

The USPSTF recommendations below are based on 4 of the most common cancers affecting CalOptima Health members, but it is always best to talk to your doctor about what tests are right for you. Your doctor can make recommendations and share information tailored to your health, history and other risk factors.

The USPSTF recommends mammograms for women ages 40 to 74 every 2 years³. A mammogram takes X-ray pictures of each breast to look for signs of breast cancer.

The USPSTF recommends colorectal cancer screenings for all adults ages 45 to 75⁴. Your doctor will let you know the type of test and when you should be tested based on your health history.

The USPSTF recommends a yearly lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for adults ages 50 to 80 who smoke or have a history of smoking⁵. This test uses a low amount of radiation to take an X-ray picture of your lungs to look for signs of cancer.

Your doctor may want you to get a yearly lung cancer screening if you:

The USPSTF recommends cervical cancer screenings for adults ages 21 to 65 with a cervix every 3 years⁶. Your doctor will let you know the type of test and when you should be tested based on your health history.

You may be eligible to get a gift card from the Member Health Rewards program for taking an active role in your health! CalOptima Health offers eligible members no-cost gift cards for completing certain cancer screenings.

Please visit www.caloptima.org/HealthRewards for more details and to see if you qualify.

Sources:

¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35298272/  

²https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/find-cancer-early/screening-for-cancer/benefits-and-limitations-of-regular-cancer-screening#:~:text=Cancer%20screening%20helps%20find%20cancer,better%20your%20chance%20of%20survival  

³https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening  

⁴https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening  

⁵https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/lung-cancer-screening  

⁶https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/cervical-cancer-screening