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Self-Exam
Self-examinations should start now and continue for the rest of a person's life. A person can do self-examinations for skin and breast cancer. When looking for early signs of skin cancer, a person should be looking for asymmetrical moles, irregular boarders, color change, large diameter, and moles changing in color, shape, or size. In order, to look for breast cancer yourself a person should go around the breast and armpit in a circular motion looking for lumps and changes in that area. -
Cervical Exam
A woman should start having cervical examination starting at 21-years-old. From 21 to 30 a woman should get a Pap test every 3 years and after that she should have a Pap and HPV test every 5 years. This is called co-testing because the same sample may be used for both tests. A Pap test is performed after a sample a the cervix's cells has been collected when the cervix is in sight. Then the sample is examined under a microscope. HPV is testing for the virus rather than looking for cancerous cells -
Breast Exam
Starting at age 40 women should start to have mammograms annually often at their check-up. A mammogram is performed by a technician. One breast is placed onto a plate, then another plate presses down. Each breast is done separately. This test scans for abnormal masses in the breasts. -
Colon Exam
Women should start getting colonoscopies a 50-years-old every 10 years. 24 hours prior to the colonoscopy a person is not allowed to eat anything. In addition, before the colonoscopy the colon must be empty which is done by drinking magnesium nitrate or having enemas. During the colonoscopy, a colonoscope is placed into the rectum. The colonoscope has a camera so the doctor can see inside a person's colon. A sample is then taken while in the colon to perform a biopsy.
