cancer screening...

cem

Hello all,

Obviously many many kinds of cancer. Is anyone aware of a health organisation who offer (private or nhs) a medical check where they check for diff. types of cancers.

So a cancer screening check not for one but a few atleast types ? I realise bupa and some others do health checks but they look at health in general, blood pressure, diabeties check etc etc..I have yet to see anything cancer specific..

Realise this may be a silly quetsion but I'd rather check then not know...

Many thanks

Toothsmith

If by a 'cancer check' you mean some sort of body scan - be aware that although there are places where you can get these, the radiation involved in scanning you is not risk-free.

Also, just because you're 'clear' on one particular day, when do the doubts start creeping in again, and you want someone to look again? The next week? The next month? Two years?

Do you have any reason to fear this? Family history etc? If so, Drs tend to keep a closer check on you. If not, then just do your best to live a healthy lifestyle, and try not to worry. (Stress itself can cause health problems.)

But please don't get irradiated for the sake of it.

cem

Thanks for your reply

Yes agreed with with you are saying. Unfortunately there is family history involved (not just one cancer type!). As the GP isn't, lets just say up to his mark..would rather have checks done independantly too which is where I was coming from in the original post.

Toothsmith

I would change Dr to one you're happy with.

There would be more chance of something being missed if there were lots of different people 'looking after' you, but not properly communicating with each other.

If it's all different cancer types, it's probably just 'bad luck' - which statistically means there's probably less chance of it happening to you!

silvercar

cem wrote: »

Thanks for your reply

Yes agreed with with you are saying. Unfortunately there is family history involved (not just one cancer type!). As the GP isn't, lets just say up to his mark..would rather have checks done independantly too which is where I was coming from in the original post.

You are probably better off investigating genetic markers than having a one time scan. Some of the large research hospitals offer services like gene testing which would give you a much better indication of your risk and suggest appropriate monitoring. You want to do this within the system so you get continuety of care rather than have a single scan which just tells you whether anything abnormal is spotted on the day in question. It also means that you can pass reliable information to your family.

If the cancer types are different there may be a link between them or there may not; I don't think subjecting yourself to unnecessary radiation (as toothsmith says) is the way forward.

Start with finding a GP who will refer you appropriately.