FEP Newsletter — Spring
Healthy Endeavors for segmented population
The Seven Health Screenings You Need Beyond Your Physical
Plus, find out which preventive tests and health screenings can help you stay well while working with your schedule.
Ask your doctor about these seven health screenings and which ones are right for you:
1 Colon Cancer Screening
The recommended age for getting your first screening for colon cancer used to be 50. Recently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force dropped the age to 45. The reason? Cases of colon cancer among young and middle-aged people are on the rise, and so are mortality rates. By doing more screenings earlier, experts hope to find more cases of cancer in the early stages, when it's easier to treat.
2 Mammogram
This is a breast X-ray that helps find the signs of cancer. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your doctor may advise earlier screening. But screening more often than recommended could backfire. It ups the chances of having a false positive — a result that says the disease is there when it's not. That can lead to anxiety and unnecessary surgery.
—Blue Cross NC | Spring 2024
