Cancer screening: which check-ups to have and from what age
Many cancers develop for a long time without symptoms. By the time pain, bleeding or sudden weight loss appear, the disease is often advanced. Screening means tests for people without complaints that help find cancer or pre-cancerous changes early, when treatment is simpler and more successful.
Below are the main screening tests recommended by international cancer organisations. The exact schedule depends on your health and family history, so plan it together with your family doctor.
Which tests and when
| Cancer | Test | Who and how often |
|---|---|---|
| Colorectal (colon and rectum) | Stool test for hidden blood or colonoscopy | From 45–50: stool test every 1–2 years or colonoscopy every 10 years |
| Breast cancer | Mammography | Women from about 40–50 to 74, every 1–2 years |
| Cervical cancer | HPV test and/or smear (Pap test) | Women aged 25 to 65: HPV test every 5 years or smear every 3 years |
| Lung cancer | Low-dose CT scan | Current and former heavy smokers aged 50–80 — once a year |
| Prostate cancer | PSA blood test | Men from 50 (earlier with family risk) after talking to a doctor |
Colonoscopy: the most useful test after 45
Bowel cancer almost always starts as a polyp — a small growth on the bowel wall that turns into a tumour over 10–15 years. During a colonoscopy the doctor not only finds polyps but removes them on the spot. So this test does not just find cancer — it prevents it.
If a colonoscopy feels daunting, you can start with a stool test for hidden blood. You do it at home, and if it is positive, a colonoscopy follows.
Mammography and self-examination
Mammography finds tumours a few millimetres in size — long before they can be felt. Breast self-examination does not replace it, but helps you notice changes between visits: a lump, an inverted nipple, discharge or skin changes. With any of these signs, see a doctor straight away instead of waiting for your next check-up.
HPV test: cervical cancer can be prevented
Almost all cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV test and smear find the virus and cell changes long before cancer develops, and treatment at this stage is usually simple. Together with the HPV vaccine, this makes cervical cancer one of the most preventable cancers.
When to start earlier
It is worth starting screening earlier and having it more often if:
- close relatives have had cancer, especially at a young age;
- you carry BRCA1/2 mutations, Lynch syndrome or another inherited syndrome;
- you smoke or have smoked for many years;
- you have chronic hepatitis B or C, cirrhosis or inflammatory bowel disease.
In these cases your doctor will make a personal plan — for example, breast MRI instead of or alongside mammography, or colonoscopy from a younger age.
Symptoms that should not wait for screening
Screening is for people without complaints. If you have warning signs, see a doctor right away:
- blood in your stool, urine or when coughing;
- a lump in the breast, neck, armpit or groin;
- unexplained weight loss, constant weakness, night sweats;
- a cough or hoarseness lasting more than three weeks;
- a mole that changes shape or colour, or bleeds.
This article is for information only. Your doctor plans your check-ups based on your health and family history.
