Seven Screenings to Help With Cancer Prevention

Regular health care screenings can save your life.  

From uncovering new conditions to helping maintain your health, regular screenings give you the information needed to help with cancer prevention. Depending on your age, gender, and lifestyle, the types of screenings you need might change. BJC Medical Group has a range of services designed to meet you where you are, no matter what stage of life you’re in.

Annual wellness exam

What is it: When it comes to day-to-day health care, prevention is the best policy. At each annual appointment, your primary care provider will review multiple aspects of your well-being to identify lingering or potential issues, then work with them to develop a plan to help manage your health.

Why you should get it: Annual wellness exams give you and your primary care provider a chance to discuss your current health and stay ahead of any future complications. 

Our exams offer:  

• Seamless referrals: If your exam uncovers any complications, your provider will connect with a BJC Medical Group or WashU Medicine specialist.

• Personalization: Your exam will focus on the conditions and needs that are unique to you, and it will provide solutions tailored to your goals.  

   

When you should get it: Every year, though depending on your health concerns, your provider may want to see you more often. Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider for an annual wellness exam to assess your health risk.

Schedule Your Appointment 

Bone density scan

What is it: As we age, our bones lose density and strength. A DEXA scan is a low-dose X-ray that measures bone mineral density to assess your risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and other bone-density-related complications.

Why you should get it: DEXA scans can help diagnose, treat, and prevent. Between 30 and 60% of older adults fall each year. Hip fractures significantly increase the risk of major morbidity and death in older patients, and about 50% of patients who suffer hip fractures can’t regain the ability to live independently. 

Our DEXA scans offer:  

• Accuracy: Using the latest diagnostic tools, our DEXA scans detect bone-related diseases early and accurately so you can get proactive care.
• Convenience: We provide DEXA scans at locations across the St. Louis region, with some facilities able to analyze your results and provide treatment options during the same visit.  

When you should get it: We recommend that people begin getting DEXA scans at 65. We also consider DEXA scans for patients who:

• Are postmenopausal females
• Are older males with clinical risk factors
• Had a fracture due to mild trauma
• Experience significant height loss
• Have a disease that weakens bones (e.g., lupus or cancer)
• Have a family history of osteoporosis
• Have digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel disease
• Have a history of long-term cigarette, alcohol, or glucocorticoid use
• Have conditions that require medications that weaken your bones

Talk to your primary care provider about a DEXA scan. 

Mammogram

What is it: Mammograms provide insights into your breast health and are a critical part of women’s routine preventive care. These scans can catch breast cancer early, allowing you to be proactive about your health.

Why to get it: BJC Medical Group provides high-resolution, 3D mammograms at locations across the region. 

We create a comforting and caring screening process that also offers:

• Quick results: Our accredited team of radiologists get access to your scans within seconds. With leading-edge mammogram technology, we can quickly compare current results to past ones or highlight areas that need further inspection.
• Seamless referrals: If your results require additional testing, our team connects you to specialists who can see you quickly to provide additional support.  

When you should get it: We recommend annual mammograms if you:  

• Are age 40 and of average breast cancer risk
• Are age 35 with a family history of breast cancer
• Notice an abnormality during a self-examination

Schedule a Mammogram

Pap test

What is it: These screenings can be a simple part of any annual check-up with your primary care provider, OB-GYN, or a nursing assistant. If your results require additional care, you might be sent to other specialists for more tests.  

Why to get it: Regular screenings help with cancer detection and allow you to stay ahead of gynecological complications that can impact your reproductive or overall well-being. 

Our screenings offer you:  

• Peace of mind: We combine leading-edge techniques with compassionate screening methods to help assess you for cervical cancer and other gynecological diseases.  
• Seamless referrals: We aim to diagnose cervical cancer as early as possible. If your results call for more tests, we may refer you for a colonoscopy or endoscopy within the BJC HealthCare network.  

When you should get it:

• Age 21 and every three years thereafter until age 30
• Every five years from age 30 to 50, if you have normal results

Talk to your primary care provider or OB-GYN about cervical cancer screenings.  

Colonoscopies

What is it: Colorectal cancer is one of the fastest-rising cancer diagnoses in the world. Colonoscopies can detect colorectal cancer in early stages, remove precancerous growths known as polyps, and provide more insight into your gastrointestinal health.

Why to get it: Early diagnosis of colon cancer can catch the disease before it becomes life threatening. BJC Medical Group provides colon cancer screenings at multiple locations, offering:  

• Expertise: Our accredited screeners handle your experience with care and accuracy.  
• Seamless referrals: If your results require additional testing, we can refer you for treatment at the nationally recognized Siteman Cancer Center or with a variety of specialists across the BJC HealthCare network.  

When you should get it:  

• Age 45 and older every 10 years, or more often if certain polyps are found
• If you have a family history of colon cancer

Talk to your health care provider about a referral for a colonoscopy.

Lung cancer screenings

What is it: Healthy lungs are critical to your well-being. Lung cancer screenings are fast, effective examinations that can help identify cancer or other complications early so you can begin to treat them.

Why to get it: BJC Medical Group lung cancer screenings are as fast as they are effective. Our low-dose CT lung scans are done in just 5 minutes.   

• Convenience: Our screenings are available at locations across the region so you can get tested close to home.  
• Seamless referrals: If your results require additional input, we refer you to Siteman Cancer Center and its nationally recognized team of cancer experts so you can get answers and treatment as soon as possible.

When you should get it: We recommend annual screenings for adults 50–80 who have or had a 20-pack-year history, meaning you:  

• Smoked a pack a day for 20 years
• Or smoked two packs a day for 10 years

If you have a history of smoking, talk to your provider to learn more about lung cancer screenings.

Prostate cancer screenings

What is it: Prostate cancer screenings are important to consider as preventive health in men entering middle age. Our screenings help men identify potential diagnosis early to help preserve their health so they can continue living the lives they love.  

Why to get it: An estimated 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime. BJC Medical Group screenings offer:  

• Accuracy: Using antigen testing and 3D biopsy technology, we help detect prostate cancer at its earliest possible stage so you can begin treatment.
• Seamless referrals: We can connect you to experts at Siteman Cancer Center and other locations across the BJC HealthCare network for diagnosis and treatment.

When you should get it:  

• Age 45 if you don’t have a family history
• Age 40 if there’s a family history and you have lifestyle-related risk factors (i.e., smoking history, obesity, etc.)  

To learn more about prostate cancer risk factors and if you need a screening referral, talk to your provider. 

BJC Medical Group providers and specialists provide patient-centered compassionate care at locations across the St. Louis region. From regular appointments to condition management, our team puts your care first. Learn more at BJC Medical Group | BJC.