Cancer is a disease when the cells of the body grow out of control. Cancer screening is having tests to look for signs of cancer before you have any symptoms. By the time cancer causes symptoms, it may have already spread to other parts of your body. A screening test may help find cancer early, when it may be easier to treat.

Cancer screening only tells you whether you might have cancer. It doesn't diagnose cancer. If a screening test shows signs of cancer, you'll need to have other tests to find out if you do have cancer and how serious it may be.

Prostate cancer screening looks for signs of cancer in the prostate. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system. It lies just below the bladder. It makes fluid that is part of semen.

Prostate cancer is most common in people over age 50. It usually grows slowly and doesn't cause health problems. In fact, it's possible to live a long life with prostate cancer and never know you have it. But in certain cases, prostate cancer may spread to other parts of the body and can be very serious.

The goal of prostate cancer screening is to find prostate cancers that may be more likely to spread so they can be treated early.

Two tests are commonly used to screen for prostate cancer:

• A prostate-specific antigen test, also called a PSA blood test. PSA is a protein made by your prostate. A high level of PSA in your blood may mean you have prostate cancer, but it's not proof of cancer. That's because many other things may cause high PSA levels, including:
  • Having an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH)
  • Having other common prostate problems
  • Taking certain medicines
  In general, the higher your PSA, the more likely it is that you have cancer. But a low PSA blood level isn't a guarantee that you don't have cancer.
• Digital Rectal Examination (DRE). The DRE is a prostate exam. In this exam, your health care provider inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum to feel your prostate for lumps or anything unusual. A DRE can check only one side of the prostate.

A PSA test or a DRE may be able to detect prostate cancer at an early stage. But it is not clear whether early detection and treatment lower the risk of dying from prostate cancer. You should talk with your provider about the benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening.

The possible benefits of prostate cancer screening include:

• Finding and treating prostate cancer early before it spreads
• Getting a better sense of your prostate cancer risk (based on your PSA test)
• Peace of mind if your screening shows you're unlikely to have prostate cancer now
• The option to choose further testing and closely monitor your prostate if your screening shows you may have cancer

The possible harms of prostate cancer screening include:

• Getting a false positive result. This means that your PSA test shows you may have prostate cancer when you really don't. A false positive may lead to:
  • Worry while you have more tests to look for signs of cancer.
  • A prostate biopsy. In a biopsy, a doctor removes tissue from your prostate so it can be studied under a microscope to look for cancer cells. This is the only way to diagnose cancer. The possible harms of a prostate biopsy include:
    • Fever
    • Pain
    • Blood in semen
    • Urinary tract infection
• Having prostate cancer treatment that you may not have needed. Prostate cancer screening may lead to a cancer diagnosis, but it's not always clear whether the cancer is likely to grow and spread. You could have unnecessary treatment for cancer that would never have caused any health problems. And the common prostate cancer treatments may have serious, permanent complications, such as:
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Problems controlling your bowel movements (BMs)

Since there are benefits and risks to prostate screening, you should talk with your provider to decide if screening is right for you. You and your provider should consider:

• Your age. The risk of prostate cancer increases after age 50.
• Your family health history. If members of your family have had prostate cancer, your risk may be higher.
• Your race. Prostate cancer is more common in African Americans. They also have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer at a younger age and having more serious disease.
• Your general health. Are you well enough to have treatment for prostate cancer if it's found?
• What you prefer. How do you feel about the possible benefits and harms of screening, diagnosis, and treatment?

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Testicular cancer is a cancer that develops in the tissues of one or both testicles. The testicles, or testes, are part of the male reproductive system. They make male hormones and sperm. They are two egg-shaped glands inside the scrotum, a sac of loose skin that lies below the penis. You can get cancer in one or both testicles.

Testicular cancer is very rare. You can get it at any age, but it is most common in men between the ages of 20 and 39. It is also more common in those who:

• Have had abnormal testicle development
• Have had an undescended testicle, a condition in which one or both testicles fail to move into the scrotum before birth
• Have had testicle cancer before
• Have a family history of the cancer
• Are White

The symptoms of testicular cancer may include:

• A painless lump or swelling in either testicle
• A change in how the testicle feels
• A dull ache in the lower abdomen (belly) or the groin (the area where the thigh meets the abdomen)
• A sudden build-up of fluid in the scrotum
• Pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum

To find out if you have testicular cancer, your health care provider may use:

• A physical exam.
• Blood tests.
• An ultrasound of the testicles.
• An inguinal orchiectomy, which is a procedure to remove the entire testicle. A tissue sample from the testicle is viewed under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

Testicular cancer can usually be cured.The treatment options include:

• Surgery (if the testicle has not already been removed during diagnosis).
• Radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy.
• High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant.
• Surveillance, which might be done after surgery. It means that your provider will closely follow your condition with regular exams and tests. You won't get any further treatment unless there are changes in your test results.

Some of the treatments may also cause infertility. If you may want to have children later on, you should consider sperm banking before treatment.

After you have finished your treatment, you will need regular follow-up testing to make sure that the cancer has not come back. If you have had cancer in one testicle, you have a higher risk of getting cancer in the other testicle. So it's important to check the other testicle regularly and let your provider know if you notice any changes or unusual symptoms.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

The thymus is a small organ in your upper chest, under your breastbone. Before birth and during childhood, the thymus helps the body make a type of white blood cell. These cells help protect you from infections.

Cancer of the thymus is rare. You are more likely to get it if you have other diseases such as myasthenia gravis, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes there are no symptoms. Other times, thymus cancer can cause:

• A cough that doesn't go away
• Chest pain
• Trouble breathing

Doctors use a physical exam, imaging tests, and a biopsy to diagnose thymus cancer. The most common treatment is surgery to remove the tumor. Other options include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Thyroid cancer is a cancer that starts in the tissues of the thyroid. Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It makes hormones that control the way the body uses energy. These hormones affect nearly every organ in your body and control many of your body's most important functions. For example, they affect your breathing, heart rate, weight, digestion, and moods.

There are different types of thyroid cancer; the main ones include:

• Differentiated thyroid cancer, which includes papillary cancer and follicular cancer
• Medullary thyroid cancer
• Anaplastic thyroid cancer

Certain people are more likely to develop thyroid cancer. Your risk is higher if you:

• Are between ages 25 and 65
• Are a woman
• Are Asian
• Were exposed to certain types of radiation, including from radiation treatments to your head or neck as a child or from a radiation emergency
• Have had a goiter (enlarged thyroid)
• Having certain genetic conditions, including certain types of multiple endocrine neoplasia
• Have a family history of thyroid cancer or thyroid disease

Thyroid cancer may not cause symptoms at first. It is sometimes found during a routine physical exam. You may get signs or symptoms as the cancer gets bigger. The symptoms may include:

• A lump (nodule) in the neck
• Trouble breathing
• Trouble swallowing
• Pain when swallowing
• Hoarseness or other changes to your voice that do not get better

To find out if you have thyroid cancer, your health care provider may use:

• A physical exam, including checking your neck for swelling, lumps, or anything that seems unusual
• A medical history
• Thyroid tests
• Other blood or imaging tests
• A biopsy

Treatment for thyroid cancer depends on the type of cancer you have and whether the cancer has spread. Often, more than one type of treatment may be needed. The treatment options include:

• Surgery.
• Radiation therapy, including radioactive iodine therapy.
• Chemotherapy.
• Thyroid hormone therapy.
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.
• Watchful waiting, which means that you don't get treatment right away. Your regularly checks to see if your signs or symptoms appear or change.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Tumors during pregnancy are rare, but they can happen. Tumors can be either benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). The most common cancers in pregnancy include breast cancer, thyroid cancer, cervical cancer, lymphoma, and melanoma. Cancer itself rarely harms the fetus, and some cancer treatments are safe during pregnancy. You and your health care provider will work together to find the best treatment. Your choices will depend on how far along the pregnancy is, as well as the type, size, and stage of your cancer.

Another type of tumor that women can get is called a gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). It happens when a fertilized egg doesn't become a fetus. GTD is not always easy to find. It is usually benign, but some types can be malignant. The most common type of GTD is a molar pregnancy. In its early stages, it may look like a normal pregnancy. You should see your provider if you have vaginal bleeding (not menstrual bleeding).

Treatment depends on the type of tumor, whether it has spread to other places, and your overall health.