The Sedgwick County Health Department offers:
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Pap smears and pelvic exams by appointment
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Breast and testicular self-exams education
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Colorectal screening
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Free breast and cervical cancer screenings available to women who meet
program guidelines. Click
here for
guidelines.
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Referrals for free mammography for women meeting program guidelines
Cervical Cancer:
Many women do not realize that, unlike other
cancers that primarily affect elderly women, cervical cancer can develop in
young and middle-age women. Women aged 40 and over should continue regular
cervical screening-even if they have stopped menstruating or have had their
uterus removed.
A yearly
Pap test
to detect
precancerous, abnormal changes in the cervix is
the most effective tool women have to help protect themselves from cervical
cancer. Women who
do not have regular Pap tests are more likely to be diagnosed with invasive
cervical cancer, which is not easily treated.
Women should receive yearly Pap
tests beginning at age 18 or when they become sexually active, which ever comes
first.
Breast Cancer:
Although breast cancer is more prevalent among women over the age of 40,
teenage girls and women in their 20s also can develop the disease. In
addition to getting a health care provider to check their breasts once a year,
young women should also conduct monthly
breast self exams to screen for possible
cancers and become familiar with the look and feel of their breasts.
Testicular Cancer:
Testicular cancer can
occur in males of all ages—including infants and elderly men—but is most common
in males age 15 to 40 years.
All males are at risk
of testicular cancer, regardless of age. However, some individuals are at
greater risk for developing the disease. The main risk factor for the
development of testicular cancer is cryptorchidism—undescended testicle(s).
In addition to having undescended testicles, you are also at greater risk if
you:
- Have a family history of testicular cancer
- Have a personal history of testicular cancer. Men who have had cancer in
one testicle are at increased risk for developing cancer in the other.
- Are a white, American male. The risk of testicular cancer among white
American men is five times higher than that of African-American men.
- Are between the ages of 15 and 40. However, males at any age can develop
this disease.
By practicing early detection,
males can increase their chances of discovering testicular cancer in its
earliest, most treatable stages. Once a month, men should perform a simple
testicular self-exam (TSE) in an effort to discover any physical changes
or abnormalities early.
Colorectal Cancer:
Cancer of the colon and rectum (colorectal
cancer) is highly preventable, as well as treatable and curable when detected
early. Despite this fact, colorectal cancer is the second
leading cause of cancer deaths. In 2002, an estimated 148,300 Americans will be
diagnosed with colorectal cancer and approximately 56,600 Americans will die
from the disease.
All men and women aged 50 and over are at risk for developing colorectal
cancer. Some people are at higher risk for colorectal cancer and may need to be
tested earlier than age 50. Those at a higher risk include those people with:
- A personal or family history of benign (non-cancerous) colorectal polyps.
- A personal or family history of colorectal cancer.
- A personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease — ulcerative
colitis or Crohn's disease.
- A personal or family history of ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer.
Resource Links:
American
Cancer Society
Cancer Research Foundation of America
©, Copyright, 2002 Sedgwick County Health Department
last update:
04/30/08
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