Your best defense against cancer is a healthy lifestyle and regular screenings. At Baptist Health, we help you make both a priority. From our trusted primary care providers to our numerous screening locations across Arkansas, we make sure the resources you need for a healthy, happy life are always accessible.
Bapist Health Primary Care Providers
Your primary care provider walks with you through every step of your wellness journey, and helps you create the healthy lifestyle you need to reduce your risk of cancer. Primary care providers also help you stay on schedule with cancer screenings you need, which are key for early detection, should you ever receive a cancer diagnosis.
At Baptist Health, we have an expansive network of trusted primary care providers throughout Arkansas. If you don’t have a relationship with one yet, find one today.
Regular Screenings
If you do develop cancer, early detection can be life-saving. At Baptist Health, we offer the full suite of cancer screenings throughout the state, along with the latest technological advancements at select locations. Here are a few of the most common:
An x-ray of the breast, a mammogram is the most accurate way to detect breast cancer, often before it can be easily felt or noticed in a self or clinical breast exam. The U.S. The Preventive Services Task Force recommends a mammogram every two years for women aged 40 to 74, but some women may need to follow a different schedule based on their medical and family history. Your primary care provider can help you find the right plan.
Regular breast exams and mammograms drastically improves breast cancer survival rates, and at Baptist Health, we make sure you have access to the care you need to stay healthy. We only offer the most trusted breast imaging technology, including the state-of-art 3D mammography, which boasts unmatched precision to help providers better analyze and evaluate each image.
Need to schedule a mammogram? You can make an appointment at the Baptist Health Breast Centers in Little Rock and North Little Rock, which have both been designated Breast Imaging Centers of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR). We also have exceptional locations in Fort Smith, Conway, Heber Springs, Benton, Malvern, Arkadelphia, and Stuttgart.
Annual prostate cancer screenings are essential to the health plan of any man age 50 and older. For men with familial history of prostate cancer and African-American men, the age to begin yearly screenings drops to 40.
A complete prostate screening consists of two tests: a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. These tests can be performed by several different types of physicians, including urologists, oncologists, or primary care physicians. For many men, a prostate exam is part of a yearly wellness visit with a primary care provider, but the screening can also be performed by other types of physicians, including oncologists and urologists.
Colonoscopies are considered the gold standard or screening for colon cancer. Through this simple outpatient procedure, colon cancer can be detected early enough to treat – or even prevented altogether.
Colon cancer often develops in polyps, which are grape-like growths that can occur in the colon. If identified early enough, these polyps can be removed either before cancer develops or in its early stages.
Preparation for a colonoscopy begins a day or two before the procedure, and usually involves a clear liquid diet and a special laxative to ensure the bowels are free of waste. During a colonoscopy, the patient is sedated, and a flexible, lighted tube is inserted in the colon. The physician then examines the entire colon visually. If a polyp is found, it is immediately removed.
One in four and one in six women will develop polyps in the colon, yet it is estimated that only 50% of those eligible for colon cancer screenings have one performed. Wondering if you should schedule a colonoscopy? For those with average risk, regular screening tests should start by 50. If you have other risk factors, you may begin colonoscopies at age 40 or even before. Talk to your primary care provider to find out what age you should start colon cancer screenings.
Typically performed during a routine gynecological exam, a pap smear is a simple test that can detect cervical cancer along with precancerous changes in the cells of your cervix. During the test, a provider gently removes cells from the cervix using a small brush. These cells are then examined for cancer or cell changes.
According to the American Cancer Society, women should begin Pap smears starting at age 21. Women should have a Pap smear every three years until age 29. At age 30, women can space Pap smears every five years, along with an HPV (human papillomavirus) test until age 65. After age 65, Pap smears are no longer needed for women who have a history of regular screenings with normal results.
A low-dose CT scan, also called a spiral CT scan, is used to screen for lung cancer. A painless, noninvasive test, a CT scan uses X-rays to create detailed pictures of your lungs as you lie still on a table as it passes through the center of a scanner. A specially-trained radiologist will read and score your lung images using a coding system called Lung RADS. Based on your score, you’ll be told when to return for your next screening.
Low-dose CT scans are for patients with increased lung cancer risk who meet the following criteria:
- The patient must be 50-77 years old if they have Medicare or 55-80 for all other insurances.
- Current smoker or quit within the past 15 years.
- Have a cigarette consumption of 20/pack years (pack a day for 20 years)
- The patient must be asymptomatic.
- They can not have any signs or symptoms of cancer.
Low-dose CT scans are available at Baptist Health Imaging Centers in Little Rock, North Little Rock and Fort Smith. If you think you may be a candidate for this revolutionary lung screening, discuss a low-dose CT scan with your primary care provider, and ask for a referral at the Baptist Health Imaging Center nearest you.
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