今年你體檢了嗎 -- recommended cancer screening

HMO primary care physicians may not follow the recommended screening tests closely for economic reasons. However, people should see their doctors at least once a year for physical exam and age-related screening tests. 
But you need to know the recommended screening tests first.

Recommended screening measures by age

Birth-10years:
Height and weight, blood pressure, vision screening, hemoglobinopathy(at birth), phenylalanine level(at birth), TSH and/or T4(at birth), lead level(at least one time before 6 years old)

11-24years:
Height and weight, blood pressure, Pap smear, chlamydis and gonorrhea screen(if sexually active), rubella serology or vaccination(women only); screen ofr risky behaviors, including alcohol abuse.

25-64years:
Height and weight, Blood pressure(every 2 years), cholesterol(every 5 years), Pap smear and bimanual pelvic exam, fecal occult blood test(FOBT) and digital rectal exam(DRE), sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, breast self-exam(BSE), clinical self-exam, mammography, rubella serology or vaccination(women only); screen for alcohol abuse and depression.

>=65 years:
Height and weight, blood pressure, FOBt, DRE, sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, breast 4exams continued as above, Pap smear, vision and hearing screening; screen for alcohol avuse and depression.


Recommended cancer screening measure

1. Flexible sigmoidoscopy: every 5 years after 50 years old; screening above 40 years old for high-risk patients.
2. FOBT/fecal blood: every year after 50 years old.
3. DRE/rectal exam: every year after 50 years old.
4. Prostate examination: every year after 50 years old.
5. Pap smear: every year if sexually active or >=18 years old; every 3 years after 3 normal smears.
6. Bimanual pelvic exam: every 1-3 years at 20-40 years; every year after 40 years old.
7. Endometrial tissue sampling: not recommended as screening test; indicated for postmenopausal bleeding.
8. BSE: every month after 20 years old.
9. Breast exam by clinician: every 1-3 years from 20-40 years; every year after 40 years old.
10. Mammography: every year after 40 years old; younger age controversial.
11. Skin exam: self-exam every month; clinical exam every 3 years from 20-40 years and every year after 40 years old.
12. Chest X-ray: not recommended as a screening test but useful for smokers.