Cancer Screening Specialist

Cancer Screening and PSA Tests Q&A

What is cancer screening?

Cancer screenings are designed to identify the presence of cancer early when treatment is more successful. These tests are performed to ensure that patients are in good health and can remain that way throughout their lifetime. These tests are usually performed at a person’s annual physical exam when he or she reaches a certain age. This includes screening fo rurologic cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer and kidney cancer.

What types of tests are there?

The tests most commonly used to screen for cancer include:

Physical exams- assessing the patient’s physical condition for signs of disease including lumps or unusual marks on the skin
Laboratory tests- samples of the patient’s urine, blood, tissues, or other substances are collected and sent to a lab to be viewed under a microscope for signs of abnormal cells
Imaging- pictures are taken of the inside of a person’s body using x-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds

When types of screening does Dr. Movassaghi’s office do?

Dr. Movassaghi’s office specializes in different types of cancer screenings.

Bladder Cancer - Bladder cancer refers to the development of irregular cells within the lining of the bladder. Because the same lining is shared throughout the urologic tract, same cancer can develop in the kidney, ureter or urethra. Bladder cancer can be low grade or high grade.
Prostate cancer - Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Many cases are an indolent and low grade, in younger patients, however (between the ages of 40-65), cancers can be aggressive and require treatment.
Testicular Cancer - Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men in their 2nd and 3rd decades of life. It has higher than 90% survival rate amongst all patients, however, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are key.
Kidney cancer - Although cancer of the kidneys affects both men and women, nearly 2/3 of all new diagnoses are in men. This has to do with certain risk factors including smoking, which is more common in men, than women.