I hope this is an appropriate place to ask.
Say I am eating well, exercising consistently, getting enough sleep.
For a male in his 40s, what are the best bang-for-the-buck ways to detect cancer before it becomes life-threatening?
Say I am eating well, exercising consistently, getting enough sleep.
For a male in his 40s, what are the best bang-for-the-buck ways to detect cancer before it becomes life-threatening?
The Galleri blood test screens for a range of cancers (sensitivity varies by cancer) and is ~$900, although you need a doctor to order it. You also may not technically be within the intended use population unless you have some risk factors (e.g. you are older than 50, or have family history of cancer).
Colonoscopy is a good idea, given the rising rates of colon cancer among younger adults.
The 'paradox' of genuinely higher survival rates with early detection is explained by the fact that the survival rates are measured from the time of diagnosis. If a person with undiagnosed cancer is diagnosed after 7 years with said cancer, and then dies the following year, then he is considered to have had 1 year of survival. By contrast if somebody is diagnosed at year 1 and then dies 7 years later from the cancer, then they are considered to have 7 years of survival. They lived exactly the same length with cancer, but the survival times after diagnoses are markedly different.
This applies for most cancers. In my prior readings on this topic, the one screening that had a statistically significant effect on life expectancy was a certain type of colonoscopy, but even in that case the effect was quite small, something like 3 months IIRC. I think the overall take away is that outside of healthy living, do what makes you feel most comfortable. Even if they may not be highly effective, screenings would provide some people significant mental comfort. If you're one of them, more power to you. If you're fine without, then that's also great.
[1] - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180912133536.h...
Go to a dermatologist and get a mole map. Get your tests done on schedule when you should be.
Don’t smoke cigarettes, or work in a high risk job around carcinogens.
If you run out and get a bunch of random cancer tests, you are basically ensuring that you will get unnecessary and painful treatment for a finding that probably wouldn't have harmed you in the first place.
It's not a satisfying answer, but it's true. The reason most cancers are found late is because there's no effective alternative.
https://www.bmj.com/content/362/bmj.k3519
Colo , when appropriate , is good but not as a general interest test: