At what age should you get a breast cancer screening?

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers found in Indian women. Every 1 in 8 women have breast cancer and the statistics are rising every day. Hence, it is recommended for women to carry breast cancer screening regularly. Breast cancer can be cured if detected at an early phase. Early symptoms of breast cancer are lumps in the breast which can be detected by home examination too.

At what age women should start regular blood test for cancer screening:

• Women ages between 40 to 44 should start going for annual breast cancer checkup such as mammograms, x-rays of the breast etc.
• Women aged over 54 should go for a cancer screening test every year.
• Women aged over 55 or older should go for breast cancer screening every 2 years or may continue yearly screening.
• Yearly screening needs to be continued as long as a woman is healthy and is have more than 10 more years of life expectancy or longer.
• Every woman should be familiar with the benefits, limitations, and potential risks linked to taking regular breast cancer screening.

The basic thing is awareness and every woman must know how their breasts look and feel when healthy. They should know when it’s time to report any breast cancer changes and o to doctor right away. Women who have a family history or genetic tendency, or certain other risk factors are more likely to get breast cancer and hence they should be screened yearly.

HMZ Laboratories are coming with Pantum Detect Blood test which can detect cancer at a very early stage. It’s a simple blood test for cancer that can detect up to 50 types of solid tumours in their initial stage.

How to detect breast cancer at an early stage?

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in India which is also increasing at an alarming rate. The best way to beat breast cancer is to get early cancer screening tests. Because when detected at an early stage, breast cancer can be cured with medicine or other therapies.

Risk factors:

Like any other medical condition, here are some of the medically recognised risk factors for breast cancer. Although there is no specific reason behind breast cancer, but these factors accelerate the growth of cancer cells. Such growth can be detected through taking breast cancer test.

Age: women aged over the age of 50 are more likely to get breast cancer. Nearly 80 per cent of breast cancers are found in these women age groups as the chances of developing breast cancer increases with women’s age. Hence, women of these age groups must take regular breast cancer screening tests.

Personal medical history: Any woman who had breast cancer in one of the breasts are at an increased risk of getting breast cancer in the other one.

Family history: it has seen that women with a family history of breast cancer are more prone to getting breast cancer. Family history such as if her mother, sister or daughter had breast cancer. However, other blood relatives having breast cancer can also raise the risk. In such cases, women must go for regular breast cancer test.

Genetic factors: women with certain genetic changes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are at higher risk of getting breast cancer.

Pregnancy and menstrual history: late pregnancy increases the chances of getting breast cancer. Also, women who had their first menstruation cycle at a tender age of before 12 or who gets late menopause after the age of 55 years are more prone to get breast cancer. Also, women who never bear any child are also at high risk of developing breast cancer. In such cases, women should take regular breast cancer screening tests.

Where to get breast cancer test? Connect with HMZ laboratories for safe cancer screening tests.

Cervical Cancer: Symptoms & Causes

Cervical cancer occurs in the cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus which is connected to the vagina. Various types of human papillomavirus (HPV), play a major role in causing cervical cancer. It is a sexually transmitted infection which causes cervical cancer and can be diagnosed at an early stage through screening tests. Cervix, when exposed to HPV, our body’s immune system usually prevents the viruses from making any harm to the body. In very few people, the virus survives for years and contributes to the process of forming cervical cells into cancer cells. The risk of developing cervical cancer can be reduced by taking a screening blood cancer test and also by taking vaccinations against HPV infection.

In the early-stage, cervical cancer usually produces no signs or symptoms. But the common signs and symptoms of advanced cervical cancer include:
Vaginal bleeding after intercourse
Heavy bleeding between periods or after menopause
Watery, bloody vaginal discharge with a foul odour
Increased vaginal discharge.
Bleeding after menopause.
Unusual persistent pelvic and/or back pain.
Pain during sexual intercourse.

If you are experiencing any of them, you must go for cancer screening tests.

Usually, cervical cancer begins with healthy cervix cells developing mutations in their DNA. A cell’s DNA instructs a cell about how to function. Healthy cells grow and multiply at a fixed rate, and eventually die at a fixed time. The mutations do not let the cells die which leads to accumulation of abnormal cells and forming a mass in the cervix. This can be detected via the screening blood cancer test. These tumour cells invade nearby tissues and break off from the mass to spread in the other organs of the body.

Want to go for cervical cancer screening tests? Connect with HMZ laboratories today.

When to go for lung cancer tests?

Lung cancer, a type of cancer that occurs in the lungs. The lungs are two spongy organs located near our chest which takes in oxygen while we inhale and release carbon-dioxide when we exhale. This cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage by taking lung cancer tests. It is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in the world.

It has been seen that people who smoke are at the greatest risk of developing lung cancer. However, there can be much other reason which can trigger lung cancer in people who have never smoked in life. But the risk of lung cancer increases with the duration and number of cigarettes one has smoked. Even quit smoking can significantly reduce the risk of developing lung cancer. Taking lung cancer tests helps in early diagnosis which helps to ease the treatment & broadens the chances of survival.

Both smokers and second-hand smoke can cause lung cancer. Lung cancer also occurs in who never had prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke. In such cases, there are no clear cause of lung cancer but blood test at home can help to identify it at an early stage which helps in treatment.

Lung cancer typically doesn't show any signs or symptoms in the early stages. Only when the disease reaches its advanced stage, signs & symptoms appear. Hence the best way to stay protected is to take a blood test at home for early screening. 

Signs and symptoms of lung cancer may include:

• A cough that doesn't go away
• Coughing blood
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Unusual weight loss
• Bone pain
• Headache
• Hoarseness

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, then go for lung cancer tests to be on the safe side.

When to go for breast cancer screening?

Cancer that forms in the breasts is breast cancer. In India, breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women. Diagnosis of cancer is easy now but due to social taboos, women do not go for screening. Surprisingly, breast cancer can occur in both men & women but it is more common in women. 

Substantial support for breast cancer check and awareness is very important to reduce the cancer cases. Due to various government initiatives, breast cancer survival rates have increased and also the mortality rate is steadily declining. Earlier detection is the major factor behind this. Early detection of breast cancer helps to approach the right treatment which helps to cure cancer.

Symptoms:

Do the following breast cancer check to know if you have symptoms: 

1. A newly inverted nipple
2. Changes in nipple shapes.
3. Secretion from nipple
4. Lump in breast or thickening in the breast which seems different from the surrounding tissue
5. Change in the size, shape or appearance of the breast
6. Changes to the breast skin such as dimpling
7. Peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the skin surrounding the nipple or breast
8. Redness or pitting of the breast skin

When to go for a diagnosis of cancer:If you are having any of the above symptoms, then you need to go for the cancer screening test. You can also adopt yearly screening as a part of our lifestyle. PanTum Detect test is a unified cancer screening test that helps to diagnose solid tumours at a very early stage. Along with breast cancer check, regular screening test helps to detect breast cancer at an early stage which can assure treatment and cure.

Risks of genetic testing for cancer

Genetic testing for cancer helps to estimate the chances for cancer development in one’s lifetime. The test searches for specific changes in genes or chromosomes or protein. Such changes are called mutation. Genetic tests are available for certain types of cancers such as breast screening, thyroid cancer, skin cancer, sarcoma, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and stomach cancer etc.

Genetic testing for cancer may help to predict particular disease risks, chances of passing cancer risk to children from parents, and also provide information to guide your health care. But no genetic test can 100% assure on the fact if one will develop cancer or not. But it can certainly detect the higher risks patients.

Risk factors for genetic testing for cancer
The main risk factor behind genetic cancer screening is that hereditary cancer can occur due to any inherited gene mutation. Now inherited genes are passed from the family, but not only parents. Now if one has 1 or 3 relatives from one side of the family who have cancer than they are at higher risk of getting the same.

PanTum Detect Cancer Screening test:

PanTum Detect test does not rely on any genetic counselling but finds presence of cancer cells in the body through a blood test . It is a unified test that can detect more than 50 types of cancer including breast screening. This is a safe blood test and people of any age can take this.

Breast Cancer: Symptoms & When to Go for Screening

Usually, a lump in the breast is associated with breast cancer and that’s when people usually go for breast cancer screening. Breast cancer is one of the leading cancer cases in India. However, not all breast lumps are cancer and also not also all breast lumps are cancerous. It means, most of the breast lumps are benign. The common causes of lumps in the breast are breast infection, fibrocystic breast disease, fibroadenoma or fat necrosis. However, it is always safe to go for a blood test for cancer if you are suspecting cancer.

Though most of the breast lumps are caused due to less severe conditions, painless lumps are usually the most common symptom for breast cancer. In the case of breast cancer, women will notice various changes during their monthly at-home breast cancer screening. She might feel a minor abnormal pain that doesn’t go away normally.

Signs & symptoms of breast cancer include:

·        Changes in the nipple shape

·        Pain in the breast even after the period

·        Nipple retraction, or nipples turning inward

·        A new lump that doesn’t disappear after a period

·        Unusual enlargement of one breast

·        Abnormal clear, red/brown/yellow nipple discharge from one breast

·        Unusual redness, swelling, itchiness, or rash on the breast

·        swelling or a lump near the collarbone or in the underarm

·        Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit

·        Visible veins on the breast

·        An existing breast lump getting bigger with time

·        “Orange peel” texture of the breast skin

·        Pain in the vagina (usually observed in a later stage)

·        Unusual weight loss

Having any of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily indicate breast cancer but it is always recommended to go for a breast cancer screening in such cases.

PanTum Detect is a unified blood test that can detect over 50 types of cancers. It is a yearly test and can detect cancer at their very early stage. This blood test for cancer is absolutely affordable and safe to take for anyone.