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The Ultimate Guide to Cancer Screening for Women Over 40
Corresponding Author(s) : Rishika Rawal, MD
The American Journal of Patient Health Info,
Vol. 2 No. 4 (2025)
Abstract
- Cancer rates among women are climbing, now equal to men in middle age, and even higher before age 50.
- Globally, lung cancer causes the highest number of deaths, followed by breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, and uterine (endometrial) cancer.
- Mammograms (breast), Pap/HPV tests (cervix), low-dose CT scans (lungs), colonoscopy or stool tests (colon), and symptom-based checks (endometrium) are all part of recommended care.
- Early detection through screening is vital because many cancers show no symptoms in their early stages.
- Shared decision-making with your healthcare providers helps tailor cancer screening to your individual health profile.
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- Sun P, Yu C, Yin L, Chen Y, Sun Z, Zhang T, et al. Global, regional, and national burden of female cancers in women of child-bearing age, 1990–2021: analysis of data from the global burden of disease study 2021. eClinicalMedicine [Internet]. 2024 Aug 1 [cited 2025 Jun 6];74:102713. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258953702400292X
- Moleyar-Narayana P, Leslie SW, Ranganathan S. Cancer Screening. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 4]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563138/
- Siegel RL, Kratzer TB, Giaquinto AN, Sung H, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2025. CA Cancer J Clin [Internet]. 2025 Jan [cited 2025 Jun 3];75(1):10–45. Available from: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21871
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. GBD Cancer Compare. Available from: https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare/cancer
- About Breast Cancer [Internet]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8577.00.pdf
- American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2023-2024. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2024. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures/2024/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures-2024.pdf
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Breast Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA [Internet]. 2024 Jun 11 [cited 2025 Jun 4];331(22):1918–30. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2818283
- Reeves RA, Kaufman T. Mammography. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 12]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559310/
- Mammograms - NCI [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2025 Jun 12]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/mammograms-fact-sheet
- Nicosia L, Gnocchi G, Gorini I, Venturini M, Fontana F, Pesapane F, et al. History of Mammography: Analysis of Breast Imaging Diagnostic Achievements over the Last Century. Healthcare [Internet]. 2023 May 30 [cited 2025 Jun 12];11(11):1596. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10252579/
- SEER [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. Cancer of the Cervix Uteri - Cancer Stat Facts. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/cervix.html
- Fowler JR, Maani EV, Dunton CJ, Gasalberti DP, Jack BW. Cervical Cancer. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 12]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431093/
- Kitchen FL, Cox CM. Papanicolaou Smear. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 12]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470165/
- Zhang S, Xu H, Zhang L, Qiao Y. Cervical cancer: Epidemiology, risk factors and screening. Chin J Cancer Res [Internet]. 2020 Dec 31 [cited 2025 Jun 13];32(6):720–8. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7797226/
- Draft Recommendation: Cervical Cancer: Screening | United States Preventive Services Taskforce [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 4]. Available from: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/cervical-cancer-screening-adults-adolescents#fullrecommendationstart
- Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Soerjomataram I, et al. Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin [Internet]. 2024 May [cited 2025 Jun 3];74(3):229–63. Available from: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21834
- Lung Cancer Statistics | How Common is Lung Cancer? [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Lung Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA [Internet]. 2021 Mar 9 [cited 2025 Jun 4];325(10):962–70. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2777244
- Lancaster HL, Heuvelmans MA, Oudkerk M. Low‐dose computed tomography lung cancer screening: Clinical evidence and implementation research. J Intern Med [Internet]. 2022 Jul [cited 2025 Jun 13];292(1):68–80. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9311401/
- Pozzessere C, von Garnier C, Beigelman-Aubry C. Radiation Exposure to Low-Dose Computed Tomography for Lung Cancer Screening: Should We Be Concerned? Tomography [Internet]. 2023 Jan 24 [cited 2025 Jun 13];9(1):166–77. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9964027/
- SEER [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. Cancer of the Colon and Rectum - Cancer Stat Facts. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/colorect.html
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Colorectal Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA [Internet]. 2021 May 18 [cited 2025 Jun 4];325(19):1965–77. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2779985
- Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors | Hereditary Colorectal Risk Factors [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/colon-rectal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
- Dhaliwal A, Vlachostergios PJ, Oikonomou KG, Moshenyat Y. Fecal DNA testing for colorectal cancer screening: Molecular targets and perspectives. World J Gastrointest Oncol [Internet]. 2015 Oct 15 [cited 2025 Jun 14];7(10):178–83. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4606173/
- Doubeni CA, Corley DA, Jensen CD, Levin TR, Ghai NR, Cannavale K, et al. Fecal Immunochemical Test Screening and Risk of Colorectal Cancer Death. JAMA Netw Open [Internet]. 2024 Jul 19 [cited 2025 Jun 14];7(7):e2423671. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821348
- Young PE, Womeldorph CM. Colonoscopy for Colorectal Cancer Screening. J Cancer [Internet]. 2013 Mar 15 [cited 2025 Jun 13];4(3):217–26. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3584835/
- Issa IA, Noureddine M. Colorectal cancer screening: An updated review of the available options. World J Gastroenterol [Internet]. 2017 Jul 28 [cited 2025 Jun 14];23(28):5086–96. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537177/
- SEER [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. Cancer of the Endometrium - Cancer Stat Facts. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/corp.html
- Makker V, MacKay H, Ray-Coquard I, Levine DA, Westin SN, Aoki D, et al. Endometrial Cancer. Nat Rev Dis Primer [Internet]. 2021 Dec 9 [cited 2025 Jun 14];7(1):88. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9421940/
- Endometrial Cancer Prevention - NCI [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 14]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/types/uterine/patient/endometrial-prevention-pdq
References
Sun P, Yu C, Yin L, Chen Y, Sun Z, Zhang T, et al. Global, regional, and national burden of female cancers in women of child-bearing age, 1990–2021: analysis of data from the global burden of disease study 2021. eClinicalMedicine [Internet]. 2024 Aug 1 [cited 2025 Jun 6];74:102713. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258953702400292X
Moleyar-Narayana P, Leslie SW, Ranganathan S. Cancer Screening. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 4]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK563138/
Siegel RL, Kratzer TB, Giaquinto AN, Sung H, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2025. CA Cancer J Clin [Internet]. 2025 Jan [cited 2025 Jun 3];75(1):10–45. Available from: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21871
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. GBD Cancer Compare. Available from: https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare/cancer
About Breast Cancer [Internet]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8577.00.pdf
American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2023-2024. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2024. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures/2024/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures-2024.pdf
US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Breast Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA [Internet]. 2024 Jun 11 [cited 2025 Jun 4];331(22):1918–30. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2818283
Reeves RA, Kaufman T. Mammography. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 12]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559310/
Mammograms - NCI [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2025 Jun 12]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/mammograms-fact-sheet
Nicosia L, Gnocchi G, Gorini I, Venturini M, Fontana F, Pesapane F, et al. History of Mammography: Analysis of Breast Imaging Diagnostic Achievements over the Last Century. Healthcare [Internet]. 2023 May 30 [cited 2025 Jun 12];11(11):1596. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10252579/
SEER [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. Cancer of the Cervix Uteri - Cancer Stat Facts. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/cervix.html
Fowler JR, Maani EV, Dunton CJ, Gasalberti DP, Jack BW. Cervical Cancer. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 12]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431093/
Kitchen FL, Cox CM. Papanicolaou Smear. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 12]. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470165/
Zhang S, Xu H, Zhang L, Qiao Y. Cervical cancer: Epidemiology, risk factors and screening. Chin J Cancer Res [Internet]. 2020 Dec 31 [cited 2025 Jun 13];32(6):720–8. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7797226/
Draft Recommendation: Cervical Cancer: Screening | United States Preventive Services Taskforce [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 4]. Available from: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/draft-recommendation/cervical-cancer-screening-adults-adolescents#fullrecommendationstart
Bray F, Laversanne M, Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Soerjomataram I, et al. Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin [Internet]. 2024 May [cited 2025 Jun 3];74(3):229–63. Available from: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.3322/caac.21834
Lung Cancer Statistics | How Common is Lung Cancer? [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Lung Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA [Internet]. 2021 Mar 9 [cited 2025 Jun 4];325(10):962–70. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2777244
Lancaster HL, Heuvelmans MA, Oudkerk M. Low‐dose computed tomography lung cancer screening: Clinical evidence and implementation research. J Intern Med [Internet]. 2022 Jul [cited 2025 Jun 13];292(1):68–80. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9311401/
Pozzessere C, von Garnier C, Beigelman-Aubry C. Radiation Exposure to Low-Dose Computed Tomography for Lung Cancer Screening: Should We Be Concerned? Tomography [Internet]. 2023 Jan 24 [cited 2025 Jun 13];9(1):166–77. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9964027/
SEER [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. Cancer of the Colon and Rectum - Cancer Stat Facts. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/colorect.html
US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Colorectal Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA [Internet]. 2021 May 18 [cited 2025 Jun 4];325(19):1965–77. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2779985
Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors | Hereditary Colorectal Risk Factors [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 13]. Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/colon-rectal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html
Dhaliwal A, Vlachostergios PJ, Oikonomou KG, Moshenyat Y. Fecal DNA testing for colorectal cancer screening: Molecular targets and perspectives. World J Gastrointest Oncol [Internet]. 2015 Oct 15 [cited 2025 Jun 14];7(10):178–83. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4606173/
Doubeni CA, Corley DA, Jensen CD, Levin TR, Ghai NR, Cannavale K, et al. Fecal Immunochemical Test Screening and Risk of Colorectal Cancer Death. JAMA Netw Open [Internet]. 2024 Jul 19 [cited 2025 Jun 14];7(7):e2423671. Available from: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821348
Young PE, Womeldorph CM. Colonoscopy for Colorectal Cancer Screening. J Cancer [Internet]. 2013 Mar 15 [cited 2025 Jun 13];4(3):217–26. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3584835/
Issa IA, Noureddine M. Colorectal cancer screening: An updated review of the available options. World J Gastroenterol [Internet]. 2017 Jul 28 [cited 2025 Jun 14];23(28):5086–96. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537177/
SEER [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun 3]. Cancer of the Endometrium - Cancer Stat Facts. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/corp.html
Makker V, MacKay H, Ray-Coquard I, Levine DA, Westin SN, Aoki D, et al. Endometrial Cancer. Nat Rev Dis Primer [Internet]. 2021 Dec 9 [cited 2025 Jun 14];7(1):88. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9421940/
Endometrial Cancer Prevention - NCI [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Jun 14]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/types/uterine/patient/endometrial-prevention-pdq