Screening is the most reliable way to catch cancer while it’s still treatable. Most early stage cancers cause no symptoms at all, so waiting to feel unwell isn’t a strategy. A regular schedule of checks, appropriate to your age, sex and family history, is what actually protects you. The tests themselves are usually quick and straightforward. The habit of booking them is where the real value lies.

FOR WOMEN

• Breast checks. Get familiar with how your breasts normally look and feel, so you notice any change. A mammogram is recommended on a regular basis from your forties onward, or earlier with a family history of breast cancer. It takes a few minutes.
• Cervical screening. Regular cervical screening, alongside HPV vaccination where available, catches changes long before they’d ever cause symptoms. Speak to a doctor about what schedule fits your age and history.
• Family history. A close relative with breast or ovarian cancer raises your own risk and is worth flagging to a doctor, who may recommend earlier or more frequent checks.

FOR MEN

• Prostate checks. From your fifties onward, or earlier if you have a family history or are of African descent, ask your doctor about a PSA test. It’s a simple blood draw.
• Testicular checks. Get familiar with what’s normal for you and mention any lump, swelling or change to a doctor promptly. This is most relevant for younger men.
• Family history. A father or brother with prostate cancer roughly doubles your own risk, and is worth mentioning at your next check-up.

What to actually do

• Ask your doctor what applies to you. A short conversation will tell you which checks make sense for your age and history.
• Book it and repeat it. Set a yearly reminder so screening becomes routine rather than something you have to remember to think about.
• Bring someone. A friend, a partner, a sibling. Going together makes it easier to book, and easier to keep the appointment next time.

Screening is a routine part of looking after yourself, the same as any other health check you’d book without a second thought. Making it a habit gives you the best possible starting point, whatever comes up.

If you’d like to talk through your own screening history, family risk, or what to ask your doctor, you can talk to a health coach, which are available for confidential support, at no cost to you.