Cancer Screening

Prevention and early detection of cancer through screening can have a major impact on the fight against cancer. Cancer-screening guidelines are targeted toward both, sex-specific and common cancers. Gender differences in the screening guidelines of all cancers exist. Thesedifferences can be explained by various factors. Female gender necessitates physician visits for certain non-male issues, such as menstrual disorders, contraception, and pregnancy. Thus, women are more likely to see physicians, either for acute and chronic illnesses or for regular check-ups. This greater use of medical practitioners by women makes cancer screening easier to implement in the female population. Also, many of the cancer screening guidelines are geared toward female cancers, whereas only prostate cancer screening is specifically directed toward the male population. The most important predictive factor in whether an individual has ever been screened is a recommendation from his or her health care provider. Studies have found that the sex of the physician influences recommendations for preventive care. Female patients of female physicians have higher screening rates than the female patients of male physicians women have greater likelihood to get screened if they see a female physician.