June 7th was National Cancer Survivors Day. It is important to keep up to date on your routine cancer screenings and to know how your family history can impact your risk for developing cancer in your lifetime.
During your annual well woman exam at Capital Women’s Care we will discuss your personal and family history and make recommendations on preventative screening exams and procedures. A study completed by NIH found that 48.3% of gynecologists considered themselves primary care providers as they were the main physician that their patients were visiting yearly. Because of this, we understand the importance of making sure our patients are up to date on their colonoscopies, mammograms, pap smears and other routine screening exams.
After discussing your family history, your provider will let you know if you qualify for genetic cancer screening. At Capital Women's Care, we offer genetic cancer screening through Myriad right in our office or in the comfort of your home. The testing is convenient and only requires a sample of saliva or blood. If you qualify for testing based on your history, you will have the opportunity to discuss your history with a genetic counselor and the counselor will provide information about what testing would be beneficial for you. At the end of the conversation, you can decide to have testing or not. Once the test is completed and depending on your results, it may be recommended to start screening for certain cancers regularly or at an earlier age than someone without a family history of cancer.
At Capital Women’s Care, we understand the importance of preventative medicine and want to help you stay on top of your health!
Author
Morgan Wilkerson, PA-C