Cancer Screenings Vital to Early Detection

When it comes to cancer, one thing is clear: The earlier it’s detected the higher the likelihood of a positive outcome.

With that in mind, Dr. Manoj Pawar, chief medical officer at Mutual of Omaha, stresses the importance of making regular cancer screenings an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Early detection often means the cancer has not spread, making it more manageable and treatable with less invasive methods,” Pawar said. “This leads to better survival rates and a higher quality of life after treatment.”

The statistics: Early cancer detection saves lives

Pawar underscores the life-saving potential of early cancer detection with compelling statistics:

• Women who undergo regular mammograms have a 60% lower risk of dying from breast cancer within a decade of diagnosis. ^1,2,3
• Early detection of colorectal cancer can reduce mortality rates by up to 68%.⁴
• Pap smears and HPV testing have reduced cervical cancer death rates by 70%-83%.⁵
• Low-dose CT scans in high-risk individuals can cut lung cancer mortality by 20%-24%.⁶

Key health details to discuss with your doctor

Sharing comprehensive health information with your doctor is vital for tailored and effective cancer screening strategies. Pawar recommends starting by sharing details, such as family and personal cancer history, genetic test results, lifestyle choices and occupational exposures that might increase cancer risk.

When to begin cancer screening

Screening guidelines vary by cancer type, individual risk factors and recommendations made by your doctor. Pawar suggests the following general guidelines:

• Colorectal cancer: Screenings should start at age 45 for those at average risk.
• Breast cancer: Women are advised to begin screenings at age 45, with the option to start earlier at age 40 depending on risk factors.
• Cervical cancer: Screening starts at age 21.
• Lung cancer: High-risk individuals should start screenings at age 50.

Overcoming fear: The importance of cancer screenings

If fear is keeping you from getting screened for cancer, Pawar encourages confronting your fears by considering the benefits.

“The anticipation of screening is often scarier than the procedure itself,” he said. “Most screenings result in normal findings, which can provide immense relief. For those that do result in early detection, it can be a lifesaving intervention.”

Medicare and cancer screenings

Before scheduling a screening, check with your provider to make sure it will be fully covered by insurance. Medicare covers the cost of many types of preventative health care services and cancer screening tests. You might not need to pay for covered tests if your doctor accepts the Medicare approved amount as full payment.

If you’re diagnosed with cancer, Medicare may cover many expenses related to treatment and care, but not all. To help cover those expenses, consider adding cancer insurance to your coverage.

About the author:

Manoj Pawar, MD, FAAFP is the chief medical officer at Mutual of Omaha.  He has the distinction of being recognized as a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and is a member of the Delta Omega honor society in public health, a distinction achieved while completing his master’s program at Tulane University.  He completed his specialty training in family medicine at University of Colorado, received his MD at McGill University in Montreal and attended Northwestern University where he completed his degree in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology.

¹ Tabár, L., Dean, P.B., Chen, T.H.-H., Yen, A.M.-F., Chen, S.L.-S., Fann, J.C.-Y., Chiu, S.Y.-H., Ku, M.M.-S., Wu, W.Y.-Y., Hsu, C.-Y., Chen, Y.-C., Beckmann, K., Smith, R.A. and Duffy, S.W. (2019), The incidence of fatal breast cancer measures the increased effectiveness of therapy in women participating in mammography screening. Cancer, 125: 515-523. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.31840

²Mahvish Muzaffar et al., Clinical outcomes in very early breast cancer (≤ 1cm): A national population based analysis.. JCO 35, e12034-e12034(2017). DOI:10.1200/JCO.2017.35.15_suppl.e12034

³ Narod, S.A. Age of diagnosis, tumor size, and survival after breast cancer: implications for mammographic screening. Breast Cancer Res Treat 128, 259–266 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-010-1318-9

⁴ de Kanter C, Dhaliwal S, Hawks M. Colorectal Cancer Screening: Updated Guidelines From the American College of Gastroenterology. Am Fam Physician. 2022 Mar 1;105(3):327-329. PMID: 35289558.

⁵ Landy, R., Pesola, F., Castañón, A. et al. Impact of cervical screening on cervical cancer mortality: estimation using stage-specific results from a nested case–control study. Br J Cancer 115, 1140–1146 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2016.290

⁶ US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Lung Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;325(10):962–970. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.1117

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