Cancer screening Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology There are a number of screening programmes available in the UK, but unfortunately it’s still not possible to screen for every kind of cancer.

The most common screening programmes at the moment are:

• Bowel cancer - This is available for both men and women and aims to detect it at an early stage (in people with no symptoms), when treatment is more likely to cure the cancer.
• Breast cancer - This is available for women aged between 47 and 70. The test is done using a special kind of x-ray called a mammogram. A mammogram is also likely if you have a lump.
• Ovarian cancer - There are two main types of test. A blood test looks for a chemical given off by ovarian cancer cells that travels round in the bloodstream. An ultrasound scan can be done by putting a probe into the vagina, giving a better picture of the ovaries than an ultrasound over the abdomen. However, it can still be difficult to tell whether there is a cancer on the ovary or just a harmless cyst.
• Cervical cancer screening - This common test is known as a cervical smear. A nurse or doctor takes a small sample of cells from the surface of the cervix and spreads them onto a glass slide. This is then sent to the laboratory and the cells are looked at through a microscope.
• Prostate cancer - In the UK, there is no screening as such available for prostate cancer. But if you’re concerned you can talk to your GP about the risks and the benefits of having a blood test to check your PSA (prostate specific antigen) level. As well as a blood test, your doctor will do a rectal examination, which along with the blood test can give your doctor a better idea whether your PSA reading is likely to indicate cancer. If you have an abnormal PSA and your doctor thinks your prostate feels unusual, it's more likely to be a cancer than if you have an abnormal PSA but your prostate feels normal.
• Skin cancer - People at high risk of a type of skin cancer called melanoma can ask their doctor to be referred to a skin specialist (dermatologist) to have their moles checked. Or, if there are any in your area, you can ask your GP to refer you to a pigmented lesion clinic, a specialist clinic where you can go and have your moles checked regularly.

How often you attend for screening can vary, depending on the test needed. For more information on screening, please visit Cancer Research UK.

This article was first published in February 2009.