Family History of Cancer Needs to Be Updated as You Age
According to news, Family history remains one of the best ways to identify people at high risk for breast, prostate and colon cancer, and now new research suggests that updating your doctor between ages 30 and 50 about any close relatives who develop these cancers may lead to lifesaving changes in how and when you are screened.
Massachusetts General Hospital Biostatistics Center in Boston study author Dianne M. Finkelstein said that, family history is very important and it can give individuals a sense of whether they are at elevated risk for certain types of cancers, and this could impact how they are screened.
If anyone in your family gets cancer, you should know the age when they were diagnosed and the original site of the cancer, Dianne M. Finkelstein added.
Dianne M. Finkelstein also said that, if you are 35, and there is no one with cancer in your family and then you go back to your doctor and your older brother is diagnosed with colon cancer. This information changes the doctor's strategy with respect to colon cancer screening and they may find any cancer earlier, which may change the outcome.
In the future, family history should become a routine part of the intake process, Dianne M. Finkelstein added.
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