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Cancer Screening and Prevention
Read articles on how cancer can be found and prevented.
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August 30, 2010
We’ve all heard the warnings about cigarettes. However, many people underestimate the health risks of alternative tobacco products, such as waterpipes, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes, which contain harmful toxins.
March 11, 2010
Most cervical cancers are caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Although many women infected with the virus eventually clear the infection, some women develop a persistent (lasting) infection, which is a risk factor for cervical cancer. Approval of two HPV vaccines has prompted questions about the use and effectiveness of these vaccines. To help answer common questions, Cancer.Net discussed the HPV vaccine with Maurie Markman, MD. If you have specific questions, talk with your doctor about whether one of these vaccines is appropriate for you.
January 11, 2010
You may have seen tests advertised on the Internet or elsewhere that can be used to check your risk for specific diseases, including cancer, at home. These tests are called direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests. ASCO recently updated its 2003 recommendations for genetic testing to include information on DTC testing, as well as to provide advice to doctors and patients on some of the newer technologies becoming available for cancer screening. To learn about these tests and how to talk with your doctor about genetic testing, Cancer.Net talked with Kenneth Offit, MD, MPH.
April 28, 2008
Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a procedure being studied more frequently for its role in detecting breast cancer. Although the early results of breast MRI studies are encouraging, breast MRI should not be substituted for mammography for women at average risk for breast cancer. However, it may be an additional tool to screen for breast cancer in women at high risk for developing the disease.