How to beat cancer? Know the importance of health check-ups and early detection
We spoke to Dr. Sandeep Nayak P, Director - Department of Surgical Oncology & Robotic & Laparoscopic Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru, who discussed the importance of health check-ups in detecting cancer and other chronic illnesses, and the significance of specific tests.
FollowWorld Health Day is observed every year on April 7th to raise awareness about various global health issues. This year's theme is "Building a fairer, healthier world," which emphasizes the need for equitable access to healthcare services for everyone. Cancer, the second leading cause of death globally, is a significant health concern that requires attention. In this article, we will discuss the importance of health check-ups in detecting cancer and other chronic illnesses and the significance of specific tests.
The Optimal Way to Ensure Your Health
Preventive health check-ups are essential to identify and diagnose diseases early on, including cancer, chronic, and lifestyle illnesses. These check-ups allow doctors to detect the disease early when it's easier to treat and manage. Early detection can increase the chances of successful treatment and recovery and reduce the risk of complications.
The Risk of Incomplete Tests
One of the most significant risks of incomplete health check-ups is the possibility of missing out on detecting underlying health conditions, such as cancer. Many laboratories and hospitals offer suboptimal health checks that do not cover the actual tests just to reduce cost. However, people who undergo such tests have no disease, but would be surprised by the detection of cancer or such disease after a few months.
Mrs. Radha (name changed), 58 had undergone a preventive health check package from a laboratory in December 2022. The test was a great offer and a very low cost and claimed as a full body check. However, it was a blood test. Mrs. Rada was very happy that she was healthy. However, in Feb 2023 she noticed that she had a large breast lump which was diagnosed as cancer. The health check that she underwent did not have some of the most important tests like mammography and ultrasound. The cancer was found to be in an advanced stage. She could have done much better if only the preventive health check had mammography.
Tests that are Important for Your Vital Organs
Regular health check-ups should include tests for vital organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and thyroid. Before it is too late, these tests can help detect various health conditions, including heart, respiratory, liver, kidney, and thyroid disorders. It is also essential that the tests cover common cancers.
Blood tests to detect cancer
Tumour markers are the most misused tests as many think that it can be used for diagnosing cancer. A tumour marker test is a blood test that measures specific substances in the blood that may sometimes indicate the presence of cancer. Blood tests like CA125 & CEA are often erroneously performed to detect cancer. Although CA125 is often associated with ovarian cancer, it can also be elevated in other conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, and pregnancy. Therefore, a high CA125 level does not always indicate cancer. Also, CA125 is not elevated in more than 60% of early cancers. So, it is practically a useless test to detect early cancer. Same is the story with other tumor markers.
Ms. Mansha (name changed). 28 came with a CA125 blood test which was high. It was done in a health check package offered at her office. Just because of this she underwent MRI tests and laparoscopy, and found that nothing was abnormal with her. All this could have been avoided if the test was not done. The rise in CA125 does not indicate cancer and should never be used for the detection cancer.
False security of health check.
There are several myths around cancer tests, such as false negatives or positives and early detection. False negatives occur when a test indicates that a person does not have cancer when they do, while false positives indicate that a person has cancer when they do not. False negatives and positives can occur due to various reasons, including testing too early or too late, or due to laboratory errors.
What is more worrisome is the false security that a person gets due to negative tests. Many health check packages still need to be completed in their coverage. There are specific age-appropriate tests that have to be performed to detect disease. Even when all the right things are done, about 30% of the conditions may occur in between the tests.
Prevention is always better than cure!
To sum up, it's crucial to prioritize regular health check-ups and cancer screening to maintain good health and well-being. By being aware of the necessary tests for vital organs and understanding the uselessness of tumour marker tests and other such tests, we can detect and treat health conditions early on. While myths around cancer tests exist, early detection remains vital in increasing the chances of successful treatment and recovery. Therefore, consulting a doctor and undergoing comprehensive health check-ups regularly is essential for the timely detection and treatment of any health conditions.
