Cancer prevention physical examination is a medical examination method that applies effective examination means to detect early malignant tumors or pre-cancerous lesions in the high-risk group of common cancers, and provides effective intervention management for the high-risk group and those found to be abnormal. Its purpose is to improve the early diagnosis rate of malignant tumors and reduce the death caused by cancer. Should we do cancer checkups or not? From a worldwide perspective, the incidence and mortality rate of cancer is increasing year by year. The first malignant tumor is lung cancer, followed by stomach cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer and esophageal cancer. The first place of male incidence is lung cancer, and the second to fifth places are stomach cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer respectively. Breast cancer is the No. 1 cancer in women, and the No. 2 to No. 5 are lung cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer and cervical cancer respectively. What is the difference between cancer prevention physical examination and general physical examination? Cancer prevention physical examination, also called opportunity screening, is a physical examination for individuals and multiple types of cancer based on individual cancer risk assessment, with the purpose of detecting early cancer, resectable malignant tumors, or existing benign and malignant tumors in the body without symptoms. The purpose of cancer prevention physical examination is to detect early or asymptomatic cancer patients among healthy people, or to detect them with the help of various examinations before clinical symptoms appear, or before tumor infiltration occurs, so as to obtain a better prognosis through early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Cancer prevention medical examination is part of health checkup. Since the incidence and mortality of tumors are increasing, it becomes more and more important to detect early cancers through cancer prevention physical examinations. In addition, because most malignant tumors are asymptomatic in early stages and have different biological and imaging manifestations in early stages, there is an increasing demand for the sensitivity and precision of equipment and detection indexes for screening tests for each cancer type. The existence of false negatives and false positives, misdiagnosis and omission has led to the increasing complexity of early tumor diagnosis. Together with the continuous expansion and refinement of oncology research, the requirements for professional diagnostic ability, risk factor assessment, and comprehensive analysis of various examination indexes of practitioners are also increasing. Combining the above factors, as a specialized medical examination, cancer prevention medical examination has become more and more independent and important. General health checkups tend to focus on the comprehensiveness of routine checkups, and the screening means are relatively simple and do not necessarily include special checkups for a specific cancer, and even for cancer checkups, the depth of the checkups and professional judgment still need to be strengthened. Why do we need to do cancer prevention checkups By identifying our own cancer risk factors, formulating corresponding cancer prevention plans for the whole life cycle, and formulating cancer prevention measures such as cancer prevention checkups, we can achieve the purpose of reducing the incidence and mortality rate even if we suffer from tumors, as long as we are diagnosed before the natural onset of the disease, get timely treatment and cure completely, and change the prognosis of most tumor patients. Cancer prevention medical checkups are of great significance to prevent cancer and avoid death caused by cancer. For example, the 5-year survival rate of advanced lung cancer is only 13%, but the 10-year survival rate of early lung cancer detected through physical examination can reach nearly 90%. Other malignant common tumors, such as stomach cancer and colon cancer, can have a 5-year survival rate of 90% or more. Early breast cancer can even reach 100%. All of the above cancers can be detected early through cancer checkups. Cancer checkups target 6 major cancers Cancer checkups do not guarantee that people will not have cancer for life, but can maximize the chance of not having mid- to late-stage cancer, and most of the early stage cancers can be cured. For example, once liver cancer is detected, it is in the middle to late stage and the chance of surgery is gone, but early stage liver cancer has very good treatment effect. Small liver cancer less than 3 cm can be cured by various means, even without surgery, and the cure rate can be over 90%. Therefore, early diagnosis and screening are very important. Cancer checkups are different from general medical checkups in that they cover major cancer types and are carried out for high-risk groups at the same time. There are six major types of cancer in China: lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and esophageal cancer. These six types of cancers account for nearly 80% of all cancer incidence and nearly 80% of deaths in China. For different cancer high-risk groups, there are different physical examinations to choose from. For example, for lung cancer, you can choose low-dose spiral CT of the chest; for breast cancer, you can choose breast palpation + mammography + ultrasound. For liver cancer, you can choose ultrasound + fetal globulin test of blood. Colorectal cancer and digestive tract tumors such as gastric cancer and esophageal cancer are mostly selected for early screening by colonoscopy and gastroscopy. These are considered definitive screening tools, methods that have been validated through large populations and large-scale epidemiological trials, and proven to definitively reduce mortality in the population. Cancer prevention physical examinations should include screening methods for these major cancers. Cancer prevention physical examinations are necessary for high-risk groups, which need to be conscious to prevent and control cancer and take the initiative. Age is an important criterion for all cancer risk groups. For most cancers, routine cancer prevention checkups are generally available at the age of 50 or above. Unlike breast cancer, which is younger, especially in mainland China, the peak incidence age is before menopause, so you can start breast cancer checkups at the age of 40. The interval between medical examinations for different cancers is different. For example, for colorectal cancer, if no problem is found through colorectaloscopy, it takes 5 to 10 years for the second examination. However, for hepatitis B carriers, who are at high risk of liver cancer, the interval between liver cancer checkups should not be too long, usually 6 to 8 months. Combining common cancer types, high-risk groups, effective means, reasonable interval, and safe and minimally invasive, we can know how to conduct cancer prevention checkups by combining these with our own conditions. Four types of people are the key people for cancer prevention Cancer high-risk group refers to some people in the society who have a high risk of developing a certain kind of cancer. Not all people in the high-risk group will get cancer, and it is not true that people who do not belong to the high-risk group will not get cancer. For some reason, the incidence rate of a certain kind of cancer in this population is many times or even tens of times higher than that of the general population. Therefore, this group becomes a priority target for the prevention of a certain kind of cancer. It is recommended that people who belong to the group with high risk of cancer should learn more about cancer prevention and stay away from cancer-causing factors as much as possible in terms of diet, living habits, living and working environment, etc. Pay attention to any newly occurring symptoms or signs in the body, and if they occur, go to the hospital for examination and treatment as soon as possible. If possible, it is better to take a cancer check-up every year to prevent and treat diseases early. The following four groups of people are at high risk of cancer: 1. Those who are engaged in long-term work or frequently in contact with them, such as asbestos, benzene, cadmium, chromium, nickel, arsenic, wood chips, radiation, radon and radon daughters, ultraviolet light, alkylating agents, aromatic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, alkenestradiol, vinyl chloride, 4-aminobiphenyl, dichloromethyl ether, soot and tar, pesticides, rubber, smelting industry, furniture manufacturing, etc. 2.People with family history of cancer and people with existing pre-cancerous diseases. 3.Long-term smokers or heavy smokers, passive smokers, alcoholics, and those with other special hobbies. 4.Other conditions: such as suffering from chronic hepatitis B and C, cirrhosis of the liver. AIDS patients, obese, infertile, not been breastfeeding, early age of sexual intercourse, multiple sexual partners, homosexuals and chronic schistosomiasis patients. Special attention should be paid to patients over 40 years old. One of the pituitary tumors that can cause changes in prolactin is called prolactin pituitary tumor. Prolactin is a peptide protein secreted by prolactin-secreting cells in the anterior pituitary gland, which is an important pituitary hormone regulating the function of the reproductive system. Lung cancer Age > 40 years and one of the following conditions 1.Smoking history ≥ 20 packs/year. 2.Passive smoking ≥ 10 years. 3.History of chronic lung disease. 4.Occupational exposure to inorganic arsenic, asbestos, chromium, nickel, etc. Breast cancer Age > 40 years with one of the following factors 1.Unmarried, not having children, not breastfeeding. 2.Full-term birth age > 35 years old. 3.Early menarche and late menopause age. 4.People who eat high-fat diet for a long time. 5.Obesity after menopause. 6.Long-term mental depression, depressed mood. 7.History of breast surgery. 8.People with family history of breast cancer. 9.People with estrogen replacement therapy. Liver cancer Age > 35 years old with one of the following factors 1.History of chronic hepatitis. 2.Hepatitis virus carriers such as hepatitis B and C. 3.Frequent consumption of strong alcohol. 4.Prolonged exertion. 5.Have severe fatty liver, liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus. Colon cancer Age > 40 years old with one of the following factors 1.Colon polyps, family members over 20 years old with family history of colon polyps. 2.Dietary factors: people who like to drink alcohol, eat meat, and eat high-fat and low-fiber diet for a long time 3, history of chronic colitis. 4 have first-degree relatives who have suffered from colorectal cancer. Esophageal cancer Age > 40 years old, from rural areas with high incidence of esophageal cancer (Shanxi, Henan, Hebei) and urban high-risk groups (with one of the following factors) 1.Long-term smoking. 2.Long-term heavy drinking of strong alcohol. 3.Gastric acid reflux stimulation leading to Barrett’s esophagus. 4, Preference for hot food. 5.Nutritional imbalance. 6.Frequent consumption of moldy food. Stomach cancer Age > 40 years old with one of the following factors. 1. Persistent infection of Helicobacter pylori (Hp). 2.Long-term consumption of high-salt and smoked food. 3.History of gastric polyps, atrophic gastritis and gastric ulcer. 4.Family history of gastric cancer. 5.Anemia. Cervical cancer Age > 40 years old with one of the following factors 1. Early onset of sexual life (before 18 years old). 2.Multiple sexual partners. 3. Positive HPV (human papillomavirus) subtypes 16 and 18 and persistent positivity of other subtypes. There is also an “expiration date” for cancer screening. One of the pituitary tumors that can cause changes in prolactin is called prolactin pituitary tumor. Prolactin is a peptide protein secreted by prolactin-secreting cells in the anterior pituitary gland, which is an important pituitary hormone regulating the function of reproductive system. How often to do cancer screening There is no fixed answer to this question. Just like how often a person needs to drink water or how often a car needs to be serviced. How often a person drinks water is directly related to the person’s physical condition, activity level, whether he/she has other diseases, as well as the temperature and humidity of the environment he/she lives in. How often a car needs to be serviced is also directly related to the mechanics of the car itself, the oil used, the road conditions and the quality of air. Therefore, how often a cancer checkup should be conducted needs to be determined in the light of individual physical conditions. Each person has his or her own special characteristics, and the content and interval of the checkup required will be different, which means that cancer checkups should be individualized. Most people can have cancer checkups once a year, but it is necessary to take into account the specific conditions of the body, the parts to be examined, and the medical examination methods to determine how often they should be examined. For example, under normal circumstances, a gastroscopy can be performed once every three to five years, but if you have atrophic gastritis, you need to have a gastroscopy once every one to two years, and if you have moderate atypical hyperplasia, you need to have a gastroscopy once every six months. For example, a normal person can have his liver checked once a year, but if he has hepatitis B or cirrhosis, it may be necessary to have ultrasound and methemoglobin checked once every six months or even three months. In general, we recommend colonoscopy screening for colon cancer for people over 40 years old, but if a family history of colorectal cancer is determined or if it is determined that one carries the relevant mutation gene, one should probably have colonoscopy once a year starting from the age of 20, or even earlier. Therefore, it is important to determine how often to have a cancer screening based on each individual’s specific personal history, family history, disease history, etc. Secondly, normal cells in different organs take different times to develop into cancer cells, and the rate of division and growth of cancer cells after formation also varies. At the same time, the growth rate of cancer cells originating from different pathological types of the same organ is also different. Like normal cells, cancer cells proliferate in the form of multiplication, i.e., one becomes two, two becomes four, and four becomes eight. Since cancer cells are not limited like normal cells, this population of cancer cells will grow larger and larger like a snowball, and metastasis will occur. Different cancer cells have different multiplication times, which results in different cancer progression rates. Some cancers grow rapidly while others are relatively slow, and the rate of division of different types of cancer cells can vary by tens of times. Therefore, considering the different growth rates of cancer cells, we need to determine the interval of cancer checkups according to different organs. Different examination methods have different “expiration dates” Different examination methods have different degrees of delicacy, different degrees of detailed observation, and naturally different screening intervals. For example, for colorectal cancer screening, it is generally recommended to have a routine fecal occult blood test once a year, or a sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or a full colonoscopy every 10 years. Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor, and early screening is especially important. Low-dose CT screening is effective in reducing mortality, whereas chest radiograph screening does not. A study was conducted on “interval lung cancer” that was overlooked at the time of initial screening and detected at the next screening. The study analyzed a total of 70,633 subjects who were screened and were followed up annually after the initial screening. The “interval lung cancer” was defined as a negative chest radiograph but a diagnosis of lung cancer within 12 months. It was found that 82 cases were true interval lung cancer, and it was also found that “interval lung cancer” was more common in small cell lung cancer and less common in adenocarcinoma. This shows that there is a direct relationship between the interval and examination method of cancer checkups and the type of cancer pathology. How often to have cancer checkups must be individualized according to your own situation, and you should not blindly follow others, which may lead to serious consequences and affect your health.