Cancer Prevention Project
If you haven't come in for your annual well-women visit, now is a better time than ever. Be proactive about your health and get a cancer screening!
Garden OB/GYN believes in taking a proactive approach in screening for all types of gynecological cancers, including overian and endometrial cancer. With this ideology in mind we created the Cancer Prevention Project. The Cancer prevention Project is when we reach out to our patients who have not visited the office for their annual visit in quite sometime to come in for their annual check-up plus a cancer screening. Anyone at any age can develop cancer so early detection is key in your fight against it. Last year, we diagnosed and saved over 100 patients due to this project, some patients were even as young as 25 years old. This year, we hope to continue catching these cancers early-on so our patients have a greater chance of beating it.
Cancer screenings are important for your health because they can detect the presence of precancerous and cancerous changes before you develop symptoms. Getting routine cancer screenings helps your doctor identify these changes at the earliest stage possible. After assessing your overall health and contributing risk factors, such as family history, your doctor at Garden OB/GYN will be able to determine when you need to start cancer screenings.
A few of the gynecologic cancers we screen for are listed below:
- Cervical Cancer: Pap smears screen for any precancerous or cancerous changes in your cervix. You also have an option to get an HPV test, which shows if you have active human papilomavirus(HPV). HPV causes cervical cancer, an HPV test is used as a red flag rather than a screening tool. It is possible to have an active virus at the time of your test but your body could safely clear it out on its own before causing any problems.
- Breat Cancer: Ultrasounds, MRI, mammograms, clinical breast exam, and breast self-exams are all used to screen for breast cancer.
- Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers: There are not any standard screening tests for ovarian and endometrial cancers, but the Garden OB/GYN team uses transvaginal, 3D, and a Doppler ultrasound to detect both types of cancer at an early stage. Our doctors believe that a transvaginal ultrasound is a key tool for these screenings, we even offer it to women at their annual well-women exams.
- Vaginal and Vulvar Cancer: Early signs of vaginal and vulvar cancer can be detected during your routine pelvic exam. If your doctor sees any sign of inlammation or cellular changes they'll schedule you for a colposcopy. A colposcopy magnifies the view of your vulva and vagina to see any abnormal tissue and a perform a biopsy if needed.
Typical gynecological cancers do not show symptoms at an early stage and by the time symptoms are noticed, chances are the cancer is too advanced to cure. Be proactive about your health and schedule your annual well-women exam and cancer screening today!
