NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who regularly go to their primary care doctor for routine check ups are more apt to undergo recommended colorectal, breast and prostate cancer screening tests, according to research released this week.
Dr. Joshua J. Fenton from the University of California, Davis, Sacramento and colleagues found a relationship between well visits and cancer screening by analyzing data from 64,288 adults enrolled in the Group Health Cooperative in Washington between 2002 and 2003.
A total of 39,475 adults were eligible for colorectal screening, 31,379 women were eligible for screening mammography and 28,483 men were eligible for prostate cancer screening.
The rate of colon cancer screening was much higher among adults who received at least one preventive health exam during the study period compared with adults who did not receive a preventive health exam (57 percent vs 17 percent, respectively).
The same was true for breast cancer screening (74 percent vs 56 percent) and prostate cancer screening (59 percent vs 21 percent).
"The associations were particularly strong for colorectal cancer and prostate cancer, for which the health plan provides no centralized screening program," as it does for mammography, the authors note in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
It's been shown previously that doctors are more apt to bring up the subject of cancer screening with their patients during well visits than during other types of visits. It's also been shown that people who are encouraged to undergo screening by their doctor often heed that advice.
The current study, Fenton and colleagues conclude, "provides timely confirmation and quantification of the association between preventive health exams and completion of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer testing."
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, March 26, 2007
Regular check-ups with your primary care doctor are an important part of your healthcare. If you're over 40, routine screening mammograms are also an important part of your healthcare. Mammograms can save lives by finding breast cancer as early as possible, but only when they're done as recommended.
In the study reviewed here, regular visits to a primary care doctor helped women get routine mammograms on time. Primary care doctors can help women understand the importance of breast cancer screening and can help women remember to schedule mammograms as recommended.
If you already have a primary care doctor, check with a staff member to see when your next routine visit should be. If you don’t have a primary care doctor, find one and schedule an appointment. A family doctor or an internal medicine doctor is a good choice. An OB/GYN doctor also can be good for primary care. Still, some OB/GYNs recommend that you have a different primary care doctor to manage your general health. Relatives, friends, neighbors, and your local hospital or health center all can help you find a primary care doctor who is good for YOU.
Breastcancer.org 7 East Lancaster Avenue, 3rd Floor Ardmore, PA 19003
Learn more about our commmitment to your privacy
© 2008 Breastcancer.org - All rights reserved.
Breastcancer.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information and community to those touched by this disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information.