This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Tucker Marrison about cancer screening recommendations for adults, with an update about screening rates in S.C. Dr. Marrison is a family physician and cancer survivorship researcher at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Regular screening increases the chances of detecting certain cancers early, before cancer has a chance to spread. Doctor Tucker Marrison is here to talk about cancer screening recommendations. Doctor Marrison is a family physician and cancer survivorship researcher at MUSC. Hollings Cancer Center. Doctor Marrison, tell me where we're at in South Carolina related to cancer screening.
Dr. Marrison: In both South Carolina and across the United States, cancer does remain one of the top leading causes of death for the last 75 years or so. But we do know that within South Carolina, death from all cancers has decreased by about 25% over a 25 year period. And this is in part due to improved screening and improved treatment. And when we look at the four most common cancers, which include breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer, the good news is that there are screening options for all of these cancers that account for almost 50% of new cancers in the United States. For mammography and colorectal screening, our screening rates in South Carolina are around 70%. It is much lower for lung cancer. And this is certainly an area for growth within the state.
Conner: And what specific cancer screening is recommended for all adults?
Dr. Marrison: For all adults, colorectal cancer screening is recommended starting at the age of 45. And this can either be through a colonoscopy, where your gastroenterologist would be able to have a direct visualization of the colon, or a stool based test, like a Cologuard. For individuals who are currently smoking or have a history of smoking, a low dose CT scan may be conducted for lung cancer screening, and this would start at the age of 50. Regular skin exams and routine dental screenings are still important in terms of cancer detection.
Conner: And what specific cancer screening is recommended by gender.
Dr. Marrison: So for women, mammography screening for breast cancer is recommended starting at the age of 40, and cervical cancer screening is recommended starting at the age of 21. Men should discuss the options for prostate cancer screening with their primary care clinician, and this can start at 50 or sooner depending on an individual's risk factors.
Conner: And we mentioned breast cancer screening, tell us about the importance of identifying women who may be at higher risk of breast cancer, that would require additional screening.
Dr. Marrison: We do know that a woman's risk for breast cancer is affected by factors that women are able to change, and factors that women are not able to change. And some of the factors that women are not able to change related to their health include any changes in their DNA or genetic alterations that may increase the risk of cancer, as well as their family history and in particular, family history of breast cancer at a younger age or multiple generations of breast cancer. For those women who are at increased risk of breast cancer, they may be offered some additional screening, which could include a breast MRI or some other options in terms of treatment and management to reduce the risk of breast cancer. For women who have a strong family history of breast cancer, genetic testing may be recommended, and this is something to talk to your health care provider about.
Conner: And Doctor Marrison, can you tell us what are multiple early detection tests related to cancer?
Dr. Marrison: Multiple early detection tests are tests that are being developed that have the potential to find more than one type of cancer in a single test. This evaluation is done using a blood sample and test for DNA markers of cancer. And, these tests are currently under development and may be able to screen for a wider range of cancers than we can currently. Although these tests are showing promise, these are not yet recommended for widespread use.
Conner: Doctor Marrison, thanks for this information about cancer screening.
Dr. Marrison: Thank you.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
