Can a regular physical examination really detect cancer? The truth is…

Early detection and early treatment of cancer are very important! Take colorectal cancer as an example. If it is detected in the early stage, the 5-year survival rate can be as high as 90%, but in the late stage, it is only about 12%.

Therefore, more and more people hope to detect physical abnormalities as early as possible through various physical examinations. If they are unfortunately found to have "malignant transformation", they can also nip the cancer in the bud in the early stages.

So, can the common physical examinations that people usually do detect cancer? Below, Zhuzhou Sansanyi Hospital takes a list of items in a routine examination package as an example and analyzes them one by one from top to bottom:

Let's take a look at what these tests are for. Can they detect early signs of cancer?

1. Physical Examination

1. Specific projects

Height, weight, blood pressure, internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and dentistry.

2. Cancer screening capability

★☆☆☆☆

Although these basic inspection items only require a simple look and touch, they can still reveal some problems.

For example, many oral cancers actually have precancerous lesions in their early stages, such as oral leukoplakia and submucosal fibrosis, which can be detected through oral examinations.

Many early nasopharyngeal cancers can also be found through ENT examinations. Internal and surgical examinations are also helpful for the diagnosis of skin, thyroid, breast and other tumors, but if abnormalities are found, further targeted examinations are required.

2. Three major routines

1. Specific projects

Routine blood test, routine urine test, routine stool test + occult blood.

2. Cancer screening capability

★☆☆☆☆

These examinations are mainly to gain a preliminary understanding of the basic health status of the blood components (mainly blood cell components) and urinary and digestive systems in the body.

If there are blood system diseases, such as anemia, leukemia, systemic infections, and allergies, clues can be found through blood routine tests.

If there is occult blood in the stool, it often indicates gastrointestinal bleeding, which can be caused by gastrointestinal ulcers, parasites, and bleeding from gastric cancer and colon cancer. A colonoscopy is needed for further examination.

3. Laboratory Examination

1. Specific projects

Liver function, kidney function, thyroid function, blood sugar, blood lipids, tumor markers.

2. Cancer screening capability

★★☆☆☆

In addition to tumor markers, other examinations in this part are generally aimed at understanding the health status of the body's metabolic system. They can screen for high blood sugar, high blood lipids, high uric acid, etc., but they are not very useful for judging cancer.

Tumor markers can be seen as an important part of the evidence chain for cancer diagnosis, but they must be combined with other related examinations for comprehensive judgment. Some benign diseases can also increase tumor markers in the blood.

4. Imaging Examination

1. Specific projects

Chest X-ray/CT, color Doppler ultrasound of liver, gallbladder, spleen and pancreas, color Doppler ultrasound of urinary system, color Doppler ultrasound of thyroid gland, color Doppler ultrasound of uterine adnexa (female), color Doppler ultrasound of breast (female).

2. Cancer screening capability

★★★★☆

Imaging examinations can conveniently and non-invasively observe whether there are any abnormalities in the morphology of major organs, and are of great value in diagnosing cancer.

Many common cancers, such as liver cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and thyroid cancer, can be detected through imaging examinations.

5. Gynecological examination

1. Specific projects

Routine gynecological examination, routine leucorrhea examination, cervical TCT, and HPV examination.

2. Cancer screening capability

★★★★☆

Cervical cancer, which is a matter of great fear for many women, can be detected through routine gynecological examinations, where abnormal changes in the cervical mucosa are detected.

However, the more recommended early examinations for cervical cancer are TCT (liquid-based thin-layer cytology test) and HPV test. They are more sensitive to the identification of cervical lesions, and follow-up examination plans such as colposcopy can be formulated based on different results.

6. Other examinations

1. Specific projects

Electrocardiogram, Helicobacter pylori test.

2. Cancer screening capability

★☆☆☆☆

Electrocardiogram examination has nothing to do with routine cancer screening, but it is sensitive and convenient for screening diseases such as arrhythmia and myocardial ischemia.

Although Helicobacter pylori detection is not a screening item that can directly detect cancer, Helicobacter pylori infection is a high-risk factor for gastric cancer. The list of carcinogens published by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer shows that Helicobacter pylori is a Class I carcinogen, so the detection and corresponding treatment of Helicobacter pylori have a certain effect on the prevention of gastric cancer.

In general, the results of routine physical examinations play a certain role in judging some cancers and can also identify some people at high risk of cancer.

People at high risk can raise their awareness of cancer prevention for specific cancers and conduct regular targeted early screening examinations to achieve early detection, early intervention, and early treatment.

7. Early screening methods for the top ten most common cancers

Next, I will summarize for you the specific early screening methods for the top ten most common cancers in my country.

Some items are included in routine physical examinations, and some items are only included in some targeted cancer prevention physical examinations. (Some items included in routine physical examinations are not mentioned here, such as prostate color Doppler ultrasound for prostate cancer screening)

If you want to conduct more accurate screening for cancer, you can add relevant tests based on the examination recommendations.

Note: The above inspection cycle recommendations are basic recommendations. High-risk groups and those with related abnormalities in previous physical examinations need to be judged comprehensively based on their personal circumstances and analyzed on a case-by-case basis. Please follow the advice of professional physicians for the actual recommended inspection cycle.

It can be said that regular physical examinations are one of the best ways to detect cancer early. I hope everyone can pay attention to physical examinations, actively screen, and stay away from the threat of cancer~

Finally, I have to say one more thing. Even though some tests in routine physical examinations are not very effective in screening for cancer, they are all basic physical examination items included in national standards and specifications, and their significance cannot be ignored.

Take common diseases such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high blood lipids as an example. Their health risks are no lower than cancer, so everyone should also screen regularly and take proactive measures.

Source: Zhuzhou 331 Hospital

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(Edited by YT)