The CDC has issued a warning that people should be on the lookout for the coronavirus, which can cause coughing and fever. While it’s not yet clear how common this illness is or how many people have it, we know that it can lead to severe illness in some patients. So what does this mean for you? Should you get routine cancer screenings during a time when experts are telling us to stay away from public places? Should you talk with your doctor about whether or not your risk factors make you eligible for testing?
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and it’s more common in older women. Early detection can help save lives, but mammography isn’t perfect.
Mammograms can detect breast tumors when they’re small enough to be removed by surgery or radiation treatment. But if you have dense breasts, or if your doctor suspects that you may have dense breasts, he or she might recommend another type of screening called ultrasound imaging (US). The US uses sound waves to take pictures of your chest wall and internal organs, which helps doctors decide whether a lump needs further testing before being removed from your body.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a major cause of death in the US, and it’s often difficult to detect early. For example, many people who have been diagnosed with lung cancer only go on to develop more advanced forms of the disease if they don’t receive treatment right away. Screening for lung cancer can help detect it early and make sure you get treatment before it becomes too late.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, and although it’s rarely fatal, it can lead to serious complications if left untreated. Fortunately, prostate cancer screening may help prevent this from happening by catching tumors early on before they spread.
However, there are some questions about whether or not routine screenings should be performed for this condition. For starters, there’s no clear evidence that finding an early-stage tumor will improve your outcome—so why bother? Then there’s the issue of overdiagnosis: If you have an abnormal Pap smear result or a biopsy showing signs of prostate cancer but no symptoms (or very mild symptoms), then chances are good that you’ll never need surgery unless something goes wrong later down the road; however many other men who have normal results don’t appear at risk until they’re much older (and even then only do so after being diagnosed with high-grade cancers).
Critics also point out that while getting screened regularly may reduce death rates slightly among those who’ve been diagnosed with prostate cancers at some point during their lives—as well as those who’ve been treated successfully within two years afterward—it doesn’t mean anything when compared against other types like breast or ovarian cancers
Colon and Rectal Cancers
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the US, and rectal cancer is the fourth. To get a better idea of how these cancers can affect your health and what you can do to reduce your risk, it’s important to learn about both types. Colon Cancer
The colon is a long tube-like organ that extends from the small intestine (the section of your digestive system that absorbs nutrients from food) upward into the lower part of your abdomen. It ends at a short segment called an anus—where stool exits during bowel movements or defecation—and then continues on into another part called the rectum (which stores waste). If this structure becomes damaged due to inflammation or irritation caused by certain types of bacteria or viruses such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), then it may become inflamed enough for cancerous cells to form within it over time. Rectal Cancer
The takeaway is that the answer to the question of whether people should be screened for cancer in the era of #coronavirus depends on their individual situation and risk factors and that patients should talk with their doctors about it. It’s not a simple yes or no.
The takeaway is that the answer to the question of whether people should be screened for cancer in the era of #coronavirus depends on their individual situation and risk factors and that patients should talk with their doctors about it. It’s not a simple yes or no.
One thing to consider is whether you’re at high risk for developing lung cancer if you have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which is characterized by shortness of breath due to inflammation inside your airways. If so, then regular screenings may help catch changes early enough that they can be treated before they become life-threatening—and even prevent some cases altogether!
Conclusion
It’s a matter of individual risk factors and personal circumstances, so it’s up to you whether you want to get screened. The best thing you can do is talk with your doctor about it and make sure they know what questions they should be asking themselves when they’re making this decision for their patients.
