Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the world. But this will no longer be true in 2010, when it’s expected that cancer will surpass heart disease as the leading cause of death. To put it more into perspective, cancer will cause more deaths than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis — combined.

A recent article in the Washington Post talked about this disturbing development and also noted that in 2030, there may be 27 million people with cancer if new treatments aren’t found by then. Furthermore, there are expected to be 17 million cancer deaths each year by 2030. These figures were released in the 2008 World Cancer Report.

The article points out that around the world, the major avoidable risk for cancer and cancer deaths is smoking, something that about 1.3 billion people do. While there have been increases in lung cancer, which is smoking-related, there have also been increases in breast cancer in developing countries. Despite the fact that in developed countries cervical cancer is preventable and treatable, it’s a major cause of cancer deaths in developing countries.

Get a Cancer Screening

Get a cancer screening — it’s so important to your health. There are several cancer screenings available from HealthCheckUSA, like a colon cancer screening and an ovarian cancer screening. Regular cancer screenings enable cancer to be detected as early as possible, therefore making the survival rate higher. Cancer screenings are simply critical to survival.

Heart Disease Test: Beneficial to Your Health

At-home colon cancer screenings are recommended by a Canadian campaign that recently launched. The campaign effort is to help stop the development of the cancer. And that may just happen if people take at-home colon cancer screenings, which will ideally detect colon cancer before it gets worse.

Put together by the Canadian Health Research Institute, the campaign urges people to take part in at-home colon cancer screenings because the survival rate is thought to  be over 90 percent when the cancer is caught early. When colon cancer is caught early, it is thought to be highly curable.

The Canadian Health Research Institute hopes that by taking these tests, people with colon cancer will have it detected before it gets worse. Since colon cancer is the second deadliest type of cancer in Canada, it makes sense that this campaign was launched.

Also known as colorectal cancer or large bowel cancer, colon cancer causes over 655,000 deaths every year, all over the world. University of Utah researchers were able to trace a gene mutation for colon cancer back to Mr. and Mrs. George Frye, some of the very first settlers to the New World. If you carry the mutation, there’s a 70 percent chance of getting colon cancer, while a 4 percent chance is there for those without the gene.

The third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, colon cancer begins as benign polyps, which are abnormal growths in the large intestine. Later, these polyps become cancerous. Abdominal pain, unknown weight loss and diarrhea are some of the symptoms of colon cancer.

Get an At-Home Colon Cancer Screening

So take a tip from this Canadian campaign and get an at-home colon cancer screening. HealthCheckUSA offers a colon cancer screening, the fecal occult blood test (FOBT). The FOBT screens for gastrointestinal bleeding, and it can help diagnose colon cancer in its early stages so that it can possibly be cured. The way it works is that it collects a sample that is then analyzed. The colon cancer screening kit gets sent directly to you from HealthCheckUSA, and then you collect samples and mail the kit in a pre-addressed envelope to the laboratory so you can get your results after it’s been analyzed.

Getting a negative colon cancer screening doesn’t mean that the possibility of colon cancer is completely ruled out. The same goes for a positive screening: it doesn’t mean you absolutely have cancer. Hemorroids, anal fissures and Crohn’s Disease are some things that could be the reason for blood in your stool. You’ll want to contact your doctor if you experience any symptoms or abnormal results from the at-home colon cancer screening.

PSA Tests and Pain Killers

PSA Tests can be affected by the use of pain killers, according to an article that appeared in the Washington Post.  The article refers to a health study done on 1,319 men who were taking NSAIDs (Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), such as aspirin and other common painkillers.

PSA Test Results

According to the article that appeared on September 8th, Men who took NSAIDs showed PSA levels about 10 percent lower than men not taking NSAIDs.  There are several theories behind what this could show.  One is that the use of NSAIDs could help in lowering the risk of prostate cancer.  NSAIDs are commonly used to reduce inflammation and prostate cancer has been linked to chronic inflammation, according to the article.  However, several more studies involving following larger groups of men over many years will need to be done to clarify this theory.  Regardless of what later studies could show, men should make their physician and anyone performing their PSA test aware of any painkillers, or other medications, that they are taking.

PSA Tests and their Importance for Men

PSA tests are done to screen for prostate cancer in men.  The lab test measures a protein (prostate-specific antigen) produced exclusively by the prostate.  It is recommended that men receive a prostate cancer screening, or PSA test, annually starting at the age of 50.

PSA tests are important as Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer in men in the United States.  The American Cancer Society states that prostate cancer is also the second-leading cause of cancer death in men, lung cancer is the first.  Since prostate cancer grows slowly, early detection can make a difference in treatments and cure rate.

PSA Tests Available

HealthCheckUSA offers a PSA test at many of their laboratory locations across the United States.  It is a simple blood test that your doctor can use in conjunction with your history to determine if additional tests are needed to confirm any abnormal findings.

You Should Know About the CA-125 Cancer Test

The CA-125 cancer test may not be a household name to you, but it probably should be, especially if you’re a woman or there are women in your household. You see, the CA-125 cancer test is one of the best weapons we have against ovarian cancer – a lab test that, when properly used, can spot the signs of ovarian cancer and help people get the treatment they need.

Of course, cancer is the great silent killer of our times. Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer among American women. The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance says that some 20,000 American women contract ovarian cancer yearly. 15,000 of them die from the disease.

As with prostate cancer, colon cancer and other kinds of cancer, regular cancer screenings are critical to survival. The five-year survival rate for women with ovarian cancer is a mere 45%. However, this rate increases to a much rosier 93% when a CA-125 cancer test or other cancer screening identifies the disease early, before it has a chance to spread. Testing is critical, and you don’t need a prescription for a health test like the CA-125 cancer test.

The CA-125 Cancer Test Should Be Part of Your Early Detection Routine

Unfortunately, many health professionals and medical textbooks still hold to the obsolete notion that ovarian cancer has no symptoms during the earliest stages. The truth is that there are many symptoms, including:

• gastrointestinal upset, including indigestion, gas and nausea
• changes in bowel movement
• mysterious weight gain or loss
• pain during intercourse
• lack of energy and breath
• low back pain
• a sudden “full stomach” sensation during or after eating
• loss of appetite

A regular CA-125 cancer test can complement your awareness of these other symptoms. If others in your family have suffered from ovarian cancer, make sure you monitor these symptoms and get CA-125 cancer tests regularly. Ask your doctor about lab tests and the frequency of your CA-125 cancer test routine.

How Does the CA-125 Cancer Test Work?

The CA-125 test monitors a substance that is secreted by cancer cells and normal cells that are in an inflamed condition. The cancer test derives its name from the abbreviation “CA,” which stands for “cancer antigen.”

However, lab test customers should know that the CA-125 cancer test is not a perfect cancer screening test. It’s about 80% accurate, but it’s possible that the CA-125 cancer test returns a positive result when the subject is cancer-free or returns a negative result when the subject does have ovarian cancer. Possible “red herring” conditions that can cause a false positive CA-125 cancer test are: pregnancy, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and menstruation.

It’s important that the CA-125 cancer test is used as part of an early detection routine, not as a complete standalone cancer screening. Don’t hesitate to protect your loved ones and yourself from the insidious threat of ovarian cancer. Find one of our locations nationwide and and order a test – the CA-125 cancer test specifically. If you have any questions, check our lab testing FAQ or email our health testing experts. Good health to you!

Roots of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer has roots in some of the first to make America their new home. Research done by the University of Utah has traced a gene mutation for colon cancer all the way back to some of the very first settlers to the New World.

Mr. and Mrs. George Frye are genetically responsible for a significant number of colon cancer cases today. Those with the mutation almost a 70% chance of getting colon cancer, compared with 4% of those who do not carry the gene.

Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Colon cancer starts as benign polyps, abnormal growths in the large intestine. These polyps later become cancerous. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and unknown weight loss.

Screen for Colon Cancer

Don’t know if the Fryes are your distant relatives? Good news. Colon cancer can be treated if diagnosed early. HealthCheckUSA offers a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as a colon cancer screening. The test screens for gastrointestinal bleeding and can help diagnose colon cancer in its early stages.

Cancer screenings: fear is the killer

Cancer screenings are one of the most important kinds of laboratory tests you can take. What’s so important about cancer screenings, you ask?

A personal cancer screening story

A favorite uncle and aunt of mine used to live overseas with my cousin James. James and his parents were a treat, if one rarely seen. They never complained, and always had a ready smile or joke. Honest people for whom every moment was a simple pleasure.

And so it was, because Aunt Mary had cancer. She never got a cancer screening; she just lived with the pain, perhaps afraid of what a cancer screening would tell her, perhaps already believing that the cancer would kill her before age 50 and devastate the family. Rather than tell her husband and get a cancer screening, she kept the disease hidden, preferring to avoid cancer treatments and enjoy the time she had.

Cancer screenings shed light

Our grief at her passing was accentuated knowing that she could’ve lived a full life with a timely cancer screening like one of the three cancer screenings offered by HealthCheckUSA. An early cancer screening would’ve allowed her to get a doctor’s diagnosis, avoid long chemotherapy and strike at the cancer pre-emptively. HealthCheckUSA really can be your best defense against disease.

The HealthCheckUSA cancer screening difference

Cancer screenings at HealthCheckUSA provide you with important advantages. They generally cost much less than the lab tests you’d order at a hospital because there are no hidden markups. A fully accredited medical reference laboratory analyzes every cancer screening result. These are the same cancer screenings ordered by physicians. However, with HealthCheckUSA cancer screenings, you control what tests you take and when.

Nothing beats the peace of mind of a HealthCheckUSA cancer screening. If you suspect you might be at risk for ovarian cancer, colon cancer or prostate cancer, order a health test at our website today.