During the COVID-19 pandemic the number of cancer screenings dropped significantly*. Millions of people missed the recommended tests for several years. This trend causes concern in the medical community. 

Doctors worry that the drop in preventive screenings will affect the critical care necessary to treat the disease. Delaying care can have a significant impact on health. 
 
Early screening is a way to detect certain cancers even before they become cancer. These screenings can identify potential cancers in people who are not symptomatic. 
 
For example, when someone over age 50 gets a routine colonoscopy and a polyp is found, that polyp might not be cancer yet. Doctors would be able to determine if the polyp is precancerous and remove it. 
 
You can catch things at a much earlier stage, and treat them to prevent the progression to cancer, or you catch cancer early and it's localized. Any intervention at this point is likely to be less invasive and much less burdensome for the patient. 
 
The medical community is concerned the cancers that would have been caught in routine screenings will advance if they are not detected and treated early. This could result in a spike in advanced cancer diagnoses in the future. Some studies show an increase in deaths because of this decline in screenings. 
 
Cancer screening is the most effective way to catch and treat certain cancers early. In many circumstances if you wait until you have symptoms, it could be too late.
 
South Carolinians should not delay getting screened as recommended by their doctors or health care providers.

What screenings do you need? The following are recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force*: 

Breast cancer: Women ages 40 to 74 years old who are at average risk for breast cancer should get a mammogram every two years*. You may need to be tested earlier or more often if you are at increased risk for breast cancer. 

Colorectal cancer: Adults ages 45 to 75 should get screened for colorectal cancer*. A colonoscopy is the gold standard for detecting this type of cancer. You may need to be tested earlier or more often if you are at increased risk. 

Cervical cancer: Women should start getting Pap tests at age 21*. If your Pap test is normal, your doctor may tell you to wait three years until the next test. Women ages 30 to 65 should talk with their doctors about Pap and HPV tests to determine the right test and how often it is needed to detect cervical cancer. Women over 65 may not need to be screened anymore. A doctor can discuss a recommendation for you based on your history. 
 
Lung cancer: The task force recommends an annual screening for lung cancer* in adults ages 50 to 80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and who currently smoke or those who have quit smoking within the past 15 years. 

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