Screening for cancer is important. It can find the disease before you have any symptoms and increase your chances of beating cancer with early treatment. For women, regular screenings for both breast and cervical cancer are recommended by the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control, and your doctor. Below is information about screening for each disease. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about screening for these or any other kinds of cancer.

Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women. If you are a woman between the ages of 50 and 74, you should get a mammogram (x-ray of the breast) every other year. If you are a woman age 50 or younger, talk to your doctor about your personal health and your family’s history of breast cancer. Your doctor will then decide if a mammogram is right for you. If you have any questions about screening for breast cancer, talk to your doctor.

Cervical Cancer
Women should get a Pap test every year starting at age 21. A Pap test can find cervical cancer or other problems that your doctor must treat, like an infection. Women over the age of 30 and any woman who has an unclear Pap test result should also get an HPV test. Some types of HPV, or human papilloma virus, can cause cervical cancer. Talk to your doctor about what screening tests are right for you.