Health Screenings Can Save Your Life
- A Royals expert is giving further insight about Kate Middleton’s health, stating that the Princess of Wales, 42, had reportedly been “unwell” for some time before her cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
- Those details have not been confirmed (nor has Kate disclosed what type of cancer), though it is not uncommon – especially for younger women to brush off symptoms – and serves as an important reminder to prioritize health screenings amid home and work priorities.
- There are screening methods for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer, therefore it’s imperative to share your family medical history with your doctor so you can determine what age is best to start your health checks — catching cancer early can help save your life.
“What most will not appreciate is that Catherine had actually been unwell for some time in the run up to her initial abdominal surgery in January,” Rebecca English wrote, referring to Kate by her full first name in a recent article for DailyMail.com.
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In a video clip on social media, Kate thanked everyone for their support in the wake of her surgery, saying, “It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful.”
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment.”
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“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
Concluding her message, she offered comfort to others. “At this time, I am also thinking of all those whose lives have been affected by cancer. For everyone facing this disease, in whatever form, please do not lose faith or hope. You are not alone.”
Thankfully, Middleton announced earlier this month that she has now completed chemotherapy treatment and though her perspective has understandably changed, she has even made a couple of public appearances (most recently over the weekend at Church in Scotland with her family) as she navigates life going forward.
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“Doing what I can to stay cancer-free is now my focus,” Kate said via voiceover in a beautifully edited video update featuring the family spending time together in a forest.
“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family,” Kate said, adding that the “cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you.”
“My path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she later added.
The Value of Cancer Screenings
Some cancer types have screenings and tests you can take, some do not.
For breast cancer, women can undergo mammograms to scan for anything abnormal with the breasts. Colonoscopies help women (and men) learn their colorectal cancer risk and can even prevent precancerous polyps (a small group of cells that form on the colon’s lining) from developing into full-blown cancer. Pap smear or human papillomavirus (HPV) tests can help mitigate cervical cancer risks.
However, not all cancer types have strong screening methods to catch disease early, such as ovarian cancer or lung cancer. In cases like these, patients may have certain risk factors, such as the BRCA gene mutation, which increases their chance of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
If you have a history of smoking, lung cancer risk grows substantially. If you have a family history of cancer, you may be at higher risk for developing cancer overall, especially the specific type that is in your family.
Breast Cancer Screening
The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives. For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
What Is a BRCA Gene Mutation?
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Family History & Breast Cancer Risk
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age
- Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Added exposure to estrogen
- Having children after the age of 30
- Exposure to radiation early in life
- Family history of the disease
Different types of genetic testing can help people with a family history of cancer better ascertain their cancer risks. Your doctor will discuss your family history of cancer with you in the context of your type of tumor and your age at diagnosis. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.
Colorectal Cancer Screening
A colonoscopy is a procedure doctors use to screen for colon cancer by looking inside your colon. Colon or colorectal cancer affects your large intestine (colon) or the end of your intestine (rectum).
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults aged 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer.
A colonoscopy procedure requires your colon to be “cleaned out.” To clear out your colon, your doctor will prescribe a “bowel prep,” a liquid you drink the night before the procedure. The prep acts as a laxative that causes you to have multiple loose stools before your procedure.
Dr. Heather Yeo dispels some common myths on colon cancer
Once your colon is cleared, the gastroenterologist performing the procedure can have a clear look to evaluate if any polyps or masses are present. Depending on the size and number of polyps found, it is recommended that patients undergo a repeat colonoscopy within three to five years.
Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon and Director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously explained the colonoscopy procedure to SurvivorNet.
“When we see a polyp, we actually physically take the polyp out through the colonoscope,” he explained.
“What does that mean? That means we basically put a wire through with a little bit of a flange at the end, and we pull the polyp out. Now, note there is no pain with that. Inside the colon, there are no pain fibers. So, there’s no pain,” Dr. Murrell added.
The advantage of a colonoscopy is that your doctor can remove any polyps found during the test. Many colon cancers can be caught on colonoscopy before they develop or when the polyps are small enough to be removed without surgery.
Cervical Cancer Screening
Cervical cancer begins in the cells lining the cervix, the lower part of the womb (uterus). It usually develops slowly, however, before cancer presents itself. Vaginal bleeding or pelvic pains are common symptoms. Cervical cancer, which has been linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV), is curable when discovered early through routine screening, which is done through Pap Smears or HPV tests. A pap smear is a test that helps detect cervical cancer early.
The American Cancer Society recommends cervical cancer screenings begin at age 25, and HPV screening is recommended every five years after that.
Lung Cancer Screening
Lung cancer forms when cancer cells develop in the tissues of the lung. It doesn’t cause symptoms until it has spread outside the lungs, making it harder to catch in its early stages. It predominantly impacts people with a history of smoking, although this cancer can also impact non-smokers.
Scans such as X-rays can help doctors determine if a shadow appears, which can prompt further testing for lung cancer.
WATCH: Detecting lung cancer with little to no symptoms
Lung cancer screening is painless and lasts only a few minutes. It involves using a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). While lying on a table, an X-ray will scan your lungs for anything unusual, such as a shadow over the lungs.
Leading Experts Urge to Be Proactive with Health
“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care,” National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Steven Rosenberg told SurvivorNet in a previous interview, “because finding a doctor who is up to the latest of information is important.”
As we highlight in several areas of SurvivorNet, highly respected doctors sometimes disagree on the right course of treatment, and advances in genetics and immunotherapy are creating new options. Also, in some instances the specific course of treatment is not clear-cut. That’s even more reason why understanding the potential approaches to your disease is crucial.
At the National Cancer Institute, there is a patient referral service that will “guide patients to the right group depending on their disease state so that they can gain access to these new experimental treatments,” Rosenberg says.
Do It For Your Kids
One of the main reasons to stay on top of your health screenings is for your kids, as catching cancer early can give a better prognosis.
Opening up about cancer diagnosis with children can be really difficult task. You want to be honest with them and you want them to be prepared for what might happen, but at the same time you want to protect them, and be as gentle as possible.
John Duberstein, who lost his wife Nina to cancer, explains that he and his wife tried to take a progressive approach and be as open with their kids as possible. But as honest as they were, they ran into some issues with their kids understanding the disease. When Nina started to look healthier, for example, the kids assumed she was getting better, but that wasn’t the case.
“It was a real eye-opening moment for two people who felt like they were dealing really head-on with this stuff, talking to the kids,” Duberstein told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
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“So I think it’s important to be open with the kids as much as you can, as much as you feel like they can handle. But it’s also important to revisit it and not make assumptions. At the end of the night, what Nina had to tell them was, ‘I’m not ever going to get better. My cancer is not ever going to go away,’ it was hard for them to hear even though they’d already been prepared.”
Talking to Kids About Cancer: Be Open as Much as You Can
Meanwhile, breast cancer survivor Gina de Givenchy previously spoke with SurvivorNet about going through cancer treatment as the mother of a 12-year-old girl.
“I felt it was important to mask it because I really wanted her to know that I was going to be OK. I didn’t want her to see me weak and sickly,” she said. “When it comes to your kids, I think you always want to sort of protect them.”
Contributing by SurvivorNet staff.
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