Cancer screening is the process of looking for cancer before a person shows symptoms or signs. Screening tests can be helpful in finding cancer at an early stage, sometimes making it easier to treat and address.
There are a few different types of screening processes:
- Physical exam and history: Looks at any physical changes in the body or any history of past illnesses and health issues.
- Laboratory tests: Uses samples from the body, such as blood, urine, or tissue samples.
- Imaging: Takes pictures of inside your body to see if there is anything abnormal.
- Genetic tests: Looks at changes in genes that may be a sign of a certain illness.
ScreenNJ is a statewide program that facilitates cancer screenings between patients and healthcare. It is in partnership with the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Health, and multiple other healthcare and community organizations across New Jersey. ScreenNJ specifically focuses on:
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- HPV-related cancers
- Skin cancer
- Lung cancer
- Prostate cancer
Find a local screening facility here: https://healthapps.state.nj.us/cancer/njceed.aspx.
How to get screened if you do not have a doctor: https://www.cancer.org/healthy/find-cancer-early/how-to-get-screened-for-cancer-if-you-dont-have-a-doctor.html