Cancer Prevention/Screening

Cancer Prevention

• Primary Care - Mayo Clinic primary care providers are your key to better health. Our providers help you prevent and detect cancer early on. The first lines of defense are regular screenings and healthy lifestyle choices. Develop and manage your health plan by connecting with your primary care provider each year and scheduling an appointment if you have questions, concerns or new health developments. If you don't have a primary care provider, call us and we'll help you find an expert who fits your exact needs. 
• Stay Informed - Create a profile with the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program to help you incorporate physical activity, nutrition, and resiliency in your everyday life.
• Read these 7 tips to reduce your risk of cancer.

Early Cancer Detection

Mayo Clinic Health System providers offer screenings for various forms of cancer, including: 

• Breast cancer
  • Perform a breast self-exam a few days after your period ends.  
  • Mammograms play a key role in early breast cancer detection and help decrease breast cancer deaths.
  • A BRCA gene test determines if people carry an inherited gene mutation—BRCA 1 or BRCA 2.
    
    
• Colon and rectal cancer and polyps
  • Colonoscopy FAQ
• Cervical cancer
• Endometrial (uterine) cancer
• Lung cancer
• Prostate cancer

Follow the recommended screening guidelines for early cancer detection and talk with your family medicine provider to learn more about ways you can screen for and detect cancer in its early stages.

Symptoms of Cancer

Signs and symptoms caused by cancer will vary depending on what part of the body is affected. Read about the symptoms and when to see a doctor here.