Cancer Screening

An early diagnosis of cancer is crucial as it can greatly improve the chances of successful treatment.

Cancer screenings can help look for abnormal tissues and early signs of cancer, sometimes even before symptoms emerge. Screening is especially effective in the prevention and early detection of cancers such as breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer.

It is recommended to undergo cancer screening if you have the following risk factors:

Increasing age
Frequent consumption of alcohol
Frequent exposure to cancer-causing substances
Family history of cancer
Infection with viral hepatitis B or C
Obesity
Smoking

Learn more about how cancer is diagnosed, screening tests commonly used to detect common cancers, and cancer screening packages available at Mount Elizabeth Hospitals and Parkway Shenton.

How is cancer diagnosed?

To diagnose cancer, one or more of the following methods may be used:

Physical exam. Your doctor may feel areas of your body for lumps or other abnormalities, such as changes in skin colour or enlargement of an organ, that may indicate the presence of cancer.
Laboratory tests. Urine and blood tests can help identify abnormalities caused by cancer. For instance, in people with leukemia, a common blood test known as a full blood count (CBC) is used to reveal an unusual number or type of white blood cells.
Imaging tests. Your doctor will examine your bones and internal organs in a non-invasive way. These imaging techniques are often used to detect the presence of tumours in the body, and include X-rays, computer tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, positron emission tomography (PET) scans, and ultrasound scans.
Biopsy. During a biopsy, your doctor collects a sample of cells for testing in the laboratory. The biopsy procedure that is right for you depends on your type of cancer and its location. In most situations, a biopsy is the only way to definitively diagnose cancer.

After confirming a diagnosis, your doctor will determine the stage of the cancer and the extent of its spread. This will help determine the best treatment options and helps the doctor to forecast a likely outcome of your condition.

What are common cancer screening tests?

Your doctor will likely perform blood tests, such as the Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) test, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, CA-125 test, or the faecal occult blood test, to detect signs of cancer. An occult blood immunological test (OBI) checks for the presence of blood in the stools, while the others check for tumour proteins present in the blood.

Here are more common screening tests used to detect signs of specific cancers:

Breast cancer

Mammography. This is a scan of the breasts used to screen for abnormal growths or tumours in women who may or may not have symptoms and signs of breast cancer.
Breast MRI. This imaging test may sometimes be used to screen women with a high risk of breast cancer.

Cervical or ovarian cancer

Pap smear and human papilloma virus (HPV) testing. This tests for cancerous or pre-cancerous cells at the cervix. As HPV infection can be a precursor for cervical cancer, and testing for the presence of the HPV virus can also prevent its spread.
Transvaginal ultrasound. This imaging test may sometimes be used to scan the ovaries and uterus to help detect ovarian cancer or endometrial cancer.

Lung cancer

Low-dose helical computed tomography. This is used to screen for lung cancer, and is usually used on patients with a significant smoking history.

Did you know that there may not be any symptoms with early stage lung cancer? Get your lungs checked at a fixed consultation price at participating medical specialists from IHH Healthcare Singapore. Learn more.

Colorectal cancer

Colonoscopy. This is used to detect abnormal growths in the colon, such as colon polyps that may develop into cancer.

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Learn more about recommended cancer screening tests based on your age and gender, and how you can book a cancer screening, at Parkway Shenton clinics.

You can also learn more about our screening packages below.

The Basic LifeScreen package ($228) includes a clinical examination and medical consultation to check your blood pressure, body mass index, and height and weight. It also involves a physical examination.

In addition, it will cover:

Vision test

Colour vision
Visual acuity

Urine full examination and microscopic examination (U FEME)

Blood investigations

Full blood count
Bone/joint profile
Cholesterol profile
Fasting glucose
Kidney function
Liver function

Blood tumour markers

Liver: Alphafoeto protein (AFP)
Colon: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
Pancreas: CA19-9
Ovary: CA 125 for women
Breast: CA15-3 for women
Prostate: PSA for men

Colorectal cancer screening

Occult Blood Immunological (OBI)

Post-medical review

This screening package is available at Parkway Shenton. Call +65 6812 3396 to book an appointment.

This Comprehensive LifeScreen package ($558 for men, $778 for women) includes a clinical examination and medical consultation to check your blood pressure, body mass index, and height and weight. It also involves a physical examination.

In addition, it will cover a wide range of tests, including:

Vision test

Colour vision
Visual acuity

Urine full examination and microscopic examination (U FEME)

Blood investigations

Full blood count
Bone/joint profile
Cholesterol profile
Fasting glucose
Kidney function
Liver function

Colorectal cancer screening

Occult Blood Immunological (OBI)

Blood tumour markers

Liver: Alphafoeto protein (AFP)
Colon: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
Pancreas: CA19-9
Ovary: CA 125 for women
Breast: CA15-3 for women
Prostate: PSA for men

Nasopharyngeal cancer screening

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology test

Lung examination

X-ray (chest)

Female-specific examinations

Breast mammogram and ultrasound
Cervical Pap smear and HPV DNA test

Male-specific examinations

Prostate ultrasound

Post-medical review

Additional Tests (with top-up)

Low-Dose CT Scan
GASTROClear + Urea Breath (H. Pylori Screen) Tests

You can book a cancer screening package for yourself or your loved ones at one of Parkway Shenton’s Executive Health Screening (EHS) clinics located within our hospital.

Book a health screening online now or call +65 6812 3396.

The Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screen is an early cancer screening that detects cancer-associated alterations in DNA fragments circulating in the blood to pick up early cancers.

This multi-cancer detection tool screens for signals of up to 50 cancers in a blood draw, including common cancers such as bile duct, blood, breast, colorectal, gastrointestinal, liver, lung, nose, pancreas, and prostate cancers.

It is recommended in conjunction with existing screening tools for:

Individuals aged 40 and above who are not pregnant and without a history of cancer in the past 3 years.
Individuals with an elevated risk of cancer (e.g., family history of cancer, diet, lifestyle, etc).

For enquiries on the Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screen, please call +65 6812 3396.

Cancer Types

Cancer Treatment

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