Which Cancer Screening Tests Should I Have at My Age?

Which screening tests you should have depends on your age, sex, country and personal risk. In England, the NHS offers cervical screening from 25 to 64, bowel screening from 50 to 74, breast screening to women from 50 to 70, and lung health checks to people aged 55 to 74 who have ever smoked, in areas where it has been rolled out. The US and India use different ages and tests, and a strong family history can mean starting earlier, so confirm your own schedule with your doctor.

Recommended resource: for the full step-by-step method, Lower Your Risk by Manthan Bhendkar (founder of Asendify) covers this in depth: The Playbook for Cutting Your Cancer Risk. PDF, £304.50, instant download.

This is general information, not medical advice.

What screening is (and isn't)

Screening means testing people without symptoms to find cancer early or, in some cases, to find and remove changes before they become cancer, as bowel screening can. It doesn't stop cancer starting, but cancers found early are usually much easier to treat.

Screening is not a substitute for seeing a doctor. If you have symptoms such as an unexplained lump, bleeding, a change in bowel habits or unexplained weight loss, book an appointment, whatever your age and whenever your last screening was.

England (NHS)

According to the NHS screening page:

• Cervical screening: women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 64, every 5 years.
• Bowel cancer screening: everyone aged 50 to 74 is offered a home test kit every 2 years; people aged 75 or over can request one.
• Breast screening: offered to women aged 50 to 70; women over 70 can self-refer.
• Lung cancer screening: if you're aged 55 to 74 and have ever smoked, you may be contacted by your GP or a local NHS service (currently only in some parts of England).
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (not cancer): offered to men when they turn 65.

You're usually invited automatically if you're registered with a GP, so keep your address up to date. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own programmes with some differences.

United States (USPSTF)

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends, among others:

• Breast: mammography every 2 years for women aged 40 to 74 (USPSTF).
• Cervical: ages 21 to 29, cytology every 3 years; ages 30 to 65, cytology every 3 years, HPV testing every 5 years, or both together every 5 years.
• Colorectal: ages 45 to 75, with options including a yearly stool test (FIT) or a colonoscopy every 10 years; 76 to 85 is an individual decision.
• Lung: a yearly low-dose CT scan for ages 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history who smoke now or quit within the past 15 years.
• Prostate: ages 55 to 69, PSA testing is an individual decision to make with your doctor.

India (national programme)

India's population-based screening programme offers adults aged 30 to 65, once every 5 years, at government health centres:

• Mouth: visual examination, for men and women.
• Cervix: visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), for women.
• Breast: clinical breast examination, for women.

Ask at your nearest primary health centre or Ayushman Arogya Mandir. Private hospitals also offer mammograms, HPV tests and colonoscopy; ask a doctor which you need based on your age and risk.

A checklist by decade

• Ages 9 to 14: HPV vaccine, where offered, for boys and girls.
• 20s: cervical screening starts at 21 to 25, depending on your country; hepatitis B and C testing if you're at risk; monthly skin and mouth self-checks.
• 30s: cervical screening continues; in India, oral, cervical and breast screening from 30; review your family history.
• 40s: breast screening from 40 in the US, or as your country advises; bowel screening from 45 in the US.
• 50s to 70s: bowel screening, breast screening, lung checks if you smoked, and a prostate discussion for men.

When to start earlier: family history

Around 5 to 10% of cancers are caused mainly by inherited gene changes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 or Lynch syndrome. Talk to your GP if, for example, several close relatives on the same side of the family had the same or related cancers, or a relative was diagnosed young. You may be referred for genetic advice and offered earlier or more frequent screening.

How to make sure you don't miss one

1. Write down your age, sex and country, and list every test you're due for from the sections above.
2. Check whether you've had each one and when.
3. Book the first overdue test this week, or ask your GP surgery whether you're on the list.
4. Put the next due dates in your calendar.
5. Keep a simple record of each test, date and result.

Key takeaways

• Screening finds cancer early in people without symptoms; it doesn't replace seeing a doctor about symptoms.
• England: cervical 25-64, bowel 50-74, breast 50-70, lung checks 55-74 for ever-smokers where available.
• The US and India use different ages and methods.
• A strong family history may mean earlier or extra screening.
• Keep a written record and calendar reminders.

FAQ

I've had the HPV vaccine. Do I still need cervical screening?

Yes. The vaccine doesn't cover every type of HPV linked to cancer, so vaccinated people should still attend screening when invited.

Can I ask for screening if I'm outside the age range?

Sometimes. In England, people over the upper age can request bowel kits or self-refer for breast screening. If you're younger but worried about family history or symptoms, talk to your GP.

Is a full-body scan a good idea?

Routine full-body scans aren't part of national screening programmes. Talk to a doctor before paying for tests outside them, as they can produce false alarms.

What if I'm due but feel fine?

That's exactly who screening is for: people without symptoms.

Lower Your Risk: The Playbook for Cutting Your Cancer Risk has a screening and vaccine record you can fill in, plus a 90-day plan, at lowerrisk.asendify.co.

More playbooks on other topics: https://www.asendify.co/books/

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