Primary care encompasses basic healthcare and disease prevention. While primary care doctors can diagnose and treat virtually all types of health conditions, part of their job is to make sure you have had the necessary preventive health screenings as appropriate for your age, gender, lifestyle, and health history.
Most of these screenings are performed to detect early signs of cancer, usually long before you would start exhibiting symptoms. With many severe cancers, obvious symptoms do not appear until it is honestly too late to treat successfully.
Let’s talk about some of the cancer tests your primary care doctor can order on your behalf (which may involve a prescription), and where you can go in the Midlands for world-class medical care right here in Irmo.
Preventive Cancer Screenings
Some of the most common cancer tests include manual breast exams and mammograms for breast cancer, Pap smears for cervical cancer, the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test and DRE (digital rectal exam) manual test for prostate cancer, and colonoscopy for colorectal cancer.
Primary care doctors can also request medical imaging procedures and laboratory tests to investigate or check for various indicators of cancer symptoms. These can include the following:
Imaging Tests
- X-rays can display issues that may appear in the bones and lungs. X-rays can help detect lung cancer, bone cancer, and other health conditions.
- A computed tomography (CT) scan, also called a CAT scan, creates highly detailed images of your internal organs using X-ray and computer technology. A CT scan can detect things like stomach cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, and colon cancer.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnetic waves and computer technology to produce images of internal structures of the body. This is often used to detect brain cancer and spine cancer.
- Ultrasound uses sound waves and computer technology to produce still and video images of internal structures. When used to scan for cancer, this type of scan is usually harnessed as a secondary scanning method, such as to complement mammograms in checking for breast cancer.
Incidentally, MRI and ultrasound tests are preferred by patients thanks to the fact that they do not use radiation of any kind. This is also why ultrasound is usually used for pregnant women, so the baby is not exposed to unnecessary radiation.
Laboratory Tests
Primary care doctors perform annual health checkups, during which they take blood and urine samples from the patient and send them to a laboratory for testing. Blood and urine contain markers that could signal cancer existence or progression. While laboratory tests alone cannot be used to diagnose cancer, they are often first in a series of tests performed in diagnosing cancer.
Primary Care Center in the Midlands, SC
SC Internal Medicine Associates & Rehabilitation is a comprehensive healthcare practice providing superior, compassionate, patient-centric care. Our services include diagnostics, health screenings, and annual checkups.
We want to make healthcare easy for you, because we care not just about your health but also your comfort and convenience. To schedule an appointment with one of our primary care providers, call our office today at (803) 749-1111 or fill out our convenient appointment request form online. We look forward to helping you stay healthy!
