Screenings are available for many common cancers, described below.

Older women at normal risk should receive a mammogram every one to two years. There may come a time when an older person no longer benefits from these tests. Talk to your healthcare professional about when it is ok to stop getting mammograms.

A Pap test is used to screen for cancer of the cervix (the lower, narrow end of the uterus in the vagina).

Many older women don’t need Pap tests. An older woman may stop having these tests if they meet ALL of the following conditions:

• Over age 65
• At least 3 normal Pap tests in a row
• The last Pap test was within the past 5 years
• No abnormal Pap tests in the last 10 years
• Not otherwise at high risk of cervical cancer

People who have had a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and cervix) don’t need Pap tests, unless they had cervical cancer or pre-cancer. If the cervix wasn’t removed during the hysterectomy, Pap tests need to continue.

Screening tests for colorectal cancer vary take several forms. Older adults with an average risk of colon cancer generally need the following one of the following screenings:

• Colonoscopy every 10 years
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
• Fecal occult blood test (a test for blood in your stool) every year.

Talk with your healthcare provider about which tests are right for you and when you can stop screening for colon cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. A yearly screening test is recommended for:

• Long-time smokers age 55 years or older
• Previous smokers over age 55 who quit smoking within the past 15 years.

Prostate Cancer

There are routine screenings for prostate cancer:

• Digital rectal exam, where the healthcare provider puts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to examine the prostate
• Blood test called PSA (prostate-specific antigen)

The PSA screening tests may pick up abnormal cells, which can lead to a prostate biopsy (where a small sample of prostate tissue is removed). The biopsies have risks and may lead to unnecessary surgeries with possible permanent side effects.

It is hard to know which men should have PSA screenings.

Most experts recommend that men age 55-70 discuss the potential harms and benefits of screening with their healthcare provider.

Men over age 70 don’t need screening because the harms outweigh the benefits.

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer.  New treatments for advanced melanoma are available.

Some people need regular skin checks for skin cancer. They are those who have:

• Already had melanoma
• More than one family member who has had the disease
• Many unusual moles

All older women who have reached menopause (their periods have stopped for 12 months) need to see their healthcare professional if blood comes from their vagina when they aren’t expecting it. Bleeding or spotting may be signs of uterine cancer (cancer in the womb).