Helping Men Get the Cancer Screenings They Need


June is Men’s Health Month, a time to raise awareness on the importance of cancer screenings

Men’s Health Month is an opportunity to encourage men to take more active roles in preventing disease while raising awareness of the various cancer screenings that are available to them. 

The Mission Hope Cancer Center in Santa Maria provides various cancer screenings throughout the year.

“Mission Hope is dedicated to assisting the community with early detection,” says Cynthia Maldonado RN, the Supervisor for Cancer Outreach at Mission Hope. “We provide free prostate screenings annually in September. Mission Hope also has a lung cancer screening program for current or previous smokers. We assist the uninsured and underinsured with colorectal screenings as well.” 

Three of the most common forms of cancer found in men are prostate, lung and colorectal cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the leading cancer diagnosis among men with 299,010 expected cases in 2024. Lung and bronchus cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosis among men with an estimated 116,310 new cases. Colon and rectum cancer is the third leading cause of cancer in men, with 81,540 expected cases this year.

All three forms of these cancers have tried and true forms of screenings.

“Early detection is key to survival and screenings could potentially save your life,” Maldonado added. “Most cancers in the early stages do not present with symptoms and this is why it is important to get screened. An early diagnosis is more likely to be curable and is easier to treat.”

What Is Cancer Screening?

Cancer screening exams are medical tests performed when you are healthy, with no signs of illness.

  • Cancer screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms.
  • Screening tests can help find cancer at an early stage, before symptoms appear. When  abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat or cure. By the time symptoms appear, the cancer may have grown and spread. This can make the cancer harder to treat or cure.
  • It is important to remember that when your doctor suggests a screening test, it does not always mean he or she thinks you have cancer. Screening tests are done when you have no cancer symptoms.
  • Screening tests have been shown to reduce cancer deaths.

Healthy Choices

You can reduce your risk of getting cancer by making healthy choices:

  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Avoid tobacco
  • Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
  • Protect your skin

Screening guidelines 

The guidelines below are for average-risk individuals. If you have a personal or family history of cancer, please discuss your cancer surveillance with your doctor.
 

Colon cancer: Age 45

  • Colonoscopy every 10 years for asymptomatic men (and women) with no personal or family risk factors

Lung cancer: Age 50-80

  • Current smoker or quit within the past 15 years
  • Smoking history of at least 20 packs/year
  • Have one additional lung cancer risk factor such as exposure to radon gas, exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens, or family history of lung cancer
  • Only recommended screening test for lung cancer is low-dose computed tomography, recommended only for adults who have no symptoms but are at high risk.

Prostate cancer: Age 45

  • PSA and Digital Rectal Exam every 1-2 years until age 75, dependent on PSA

More Information

For more information, please call one of the Mission Hope Cancer Centers and ask to speak with a Cancer Nurse Navigator. We are here to answer your questions, discuss insurance coverage and copayments, and to help you make an appointment for a cancer screening.

The Mission Hope Cancer Center in Santa Maria can be reached at (805) 219-4673 and the Mission Hope Center in Arroyo Grande can be reached at (805) 474-5300.

“Please do not hesitate to call us for additional information,” Maldonado says.

For more information, visit the Mission Hope website.