WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE EARLY DETECTION IN CANCER?

Early detection of cancer increases the chances for successful treatment. Few  early signs of cancer include lumps, sores that fail to heal, abnormal bleeding, persistent indigestion, change in bowel habits and chronic hoarseness. It is important to contact  with your doctor if you have found  any of these symptoms. Few  types of cancer can be found before they cause symptoms. Screening involves checking for cancer or precancerous conditions. When you catch a cancer initial, regardless of its origin, it may be more treatable. Take colon cancer, for instance. If you detect the cancer while it is still a small, isolated polyp in the intestine.  It can usually be removed with a colonoscopy and you may be able to ignore  chemotherapy, radiation or other adjunctive treatments.

There are few  examples of how spotting cancer early can make a real difference:

Bowel cancer

Maximum 9 in 10 bowel cancer patients will survive the disease for more than 5 years if diagnosed at the initial  stage.

Breast cancer

Maximum of  90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer at the earliest stage survive their disease for at least 5 years compared to around 15% for women diagnosed with the most advanced stage of disease.

Ovarian cancer

90% of women diagnosed with the initial stage ovarian cancer survive their disease for at least 5 years compared to around 5% for women diagnosed with the most advanced stage of disease.

Lung cancer

More than 80% of lung cancer patients will survive for at least a year if diagnosed at the earliest stage compared to around 15% for people diagnosed with the most advanced stage of disease.