Men’s Health Basics

Men’s Health Basics
Marshall Health
by
June 23, 2017
in Preventive Care
1167

June is Men’s Health Month, a time to celebrate the health of all the men important to us. Regular checkups with your primary care physician are the perfect opportunity to talk to your doctor about your overall health and wellness.

Unfortunately, we can’t talk about men’s health without talking about the cancer risks specific to men. Below is the proverbial cheat sheet for men’s cancer screenings and good health, but talk with your doctor about when and how often you should be screened.

Type of Cancer Screening Method When to Get Screened
Colorectal (colon) cancer Colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) If you are 50 to 75 years old, get tested. The schedule depends on the type of test used.
Lung cancer Low-dose CT scan If you are 55 to 80 years old and are a heavy smoker or a past smoker who quit within the last 15 years, get a low-dose CT scan every year.
Prostate cancer Digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) test Talk to your doctor. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against PSA screening for men who do not have symptoms.
Skin cancer Periodic total-body examinations by a clinician Talk to your doctor. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has concluded that there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against routine skin cancer screening.

While screenings are important, remember that good health goes beyond cancer screenings.

For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/men.

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Marshall Health is the academic medical team of the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

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