Cancer Screenings
Early detection and treatment are the best defenses against breast and colorectal cancers. Being screened as part of a regular physical exam could save lives. The five-year survival rate for cancers caught early is more than 90 percent.
How can you help?
As a primary care physician, you play an important role in helping your patients manage their health. Your patients rely on you as their trusted healthcare provider for advice and information to help them live healthy lives. Remember to:
- Inform patients who are eligible to receive breast cancer and colorectal screenings about the options available to them
- Discuss the advantages of early detection
- Identify problems (barriers) that keep people from getting screened
- Refer your eligible female patients for their annual mammograms and follow up to see if they have gone
- Monitor and improve screening rates – ask if your eligible patients have had their preventive screenings and document the occurrence in your electronic health record (EHR) system
