How to detect cancer early
Dear Sirs,
I welcome the new health column in The Jakarta Post which first appeared on Aug. 2, 2000.
My late husband had colon cancer but received treatment too late. Therefore, I want to know more about cancer, particularly how to detect it early.
I would like to ask several questions related to the topic in your first article (on Aug. 2):
1. Breast cancer
I heard of a laboratory test by which one piece of a woman's hair can be checked to detect whether she has breast cancer (the test is not available in Jakarta yet). My questions: a. How accurate is this kind of test and is the result valid for good or must the test be repeated after a certain period of time? b. If the result is permanent, is it advisable to have girls as young as 16 years of age have this test? c. Is this test available in Singapore? If yes, where?
2. Ovarian cancer
Is there any test for early detection?
3. Colon and prostate cancer
How accurate is the PSA test? I heard that when the test shows a positive (higher than normal) result, the cancer is already in an advanced stage.
4. For a person whose family has a history of colon cancer, at what age should they undergo a screening to ensure they are free from the cancer? What kind of test do you recommend for such a person?
I thank you for your responses to my questions.
Regards, Elizabeth Tanzil
Dear Mrs. Tanzil,
Thank you for your questions, and I hope the following answers provide you all the information you need:
1. I have read about some research into the analysis of hair to detect cancer, including breast cancer. Yet as far as I know, these tests are not accurate and no commercial test is available to detect breast cancer using a strand of hair.
2. There is a tumor marker for ovarian cancer known as Ca 125 and it is used for early detection of ovarian cancer and for the detection of a recurrence after treatment. This test is widely available.
3. No tumor marker is 100 percent accurate, but a PSA level of
4. For a person with a family history of color cancer, screenings should start sometime between 35 and 40 years of age. This involves yearly faecooccult blood tests and digital rectal examinations once every three years.
-- Dr. Hoe Ah Leong, Consultant General Surgeon at Gleneagles Hospital.