Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, but many forms of cancer aren’t deadly when caught early. At Dr. DeLeon's Woman's Health Care in Rowlett, Texas, OB/GYN physician Luis DeLeon Usuga, MD, screens for breast, cervical, and other cancers that require treatment to save your life. Call to book your next cancer screening.
Cancer is the development of abnormal cells that can divide, spread to other parts of your body, and destroy normal body tissues. Catching cancer in its early stage drastically improves your chance of surviving cancer. Common cancers in women include:
During a routine physical examination, your provider looks for signs of these and other cancers and recommends screening tests for early detection.
If you have cancer you might not experience symptoms at all. If you do, you may notice:
Your doctor screens for breast, cervical, and other cancers specific to women using various tests.
Dr. Usuga offers the following cancer screening tests at Dr. DeLeon's Woman's Health Care:
During a pelvic exam and pap test, your doctor scrapes a sample of cells from your cervix and sends it to a lab to screen for signs of cervical cancer. When caught early, cervical cancer is highly treatable using minimally invasive procedures.
Your provider checks your breasts for lumps and may recommend a mammogram, depending on your age or symptoms.
Some colon cancer tests check for polyps, or small growths in the lining of your colon or rectum. Your doctor screens for colon cancer using stool tests or a colonoscopy, CT colonography, or flexible sigmoidoscopy, and removes pre-cancerous polyps during minimally invasive procedures.
There isn’t a good way to screen for early signs of ovarian cancer, but some tests (such as transvaginal ultrasound and blood tests) might be useful if you’re at risk or exhibit symptoms. Talk with your provider if you experience abdominal swelling, digestive problems, pelvic pain, increased urges to urinate, or have a family history of ovarian cancer.
If you’re at risk of or exhibit signs of endometrial cancer, such as abnormal bleeding, watery discharge, or pelvic pain, your provider might screen for it with a pelvic exam, ultrasound, hysteroscopy, or endometrial biopsy to confirm or rule out endometrial cancer.
Your physician lets you know how often you’ll need cancer screening tests based on your age, risk factors, and symptoms. Call to schedule a pelvic exam and cancer screening today.
