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Its simple: Cancer screening can save your life. Regular cancer check-ups are an essential part of staying healthy and living longer.
To make an appointment, please call us at 212-987-1777.
How does it work?
At your first appointment at the Ralph Lauren Center, a nurse practitioner will provide you with a cancer related check-up that includes a review of your medical and family history, health counseling and a tailored, age-appropriate screening plan.
Who should get checked, how soon, and why?
BREAST CANCER | Cervical Cancer | Colon Cancer | Prostate Cancer
Who should get screened?
Starting at age 40, all women should get a mammogram once a year.
Why should you get screened for breast cancer?
Clinical breast exams and mammograms can find breast cancer early and save your life.
The earlier you know about breast cancer, the more likely you can be treated successfully.
Theres no way to know if you have breast cancer unless you get checked. Even if no one in your family has ever had breast cancer, you may still be at risk.
Your chances of getting breast cancer increase with age.
The Ralph Lauren Center follows the breast cancer screening recommendations of the American Cancer Society:
Yearly mammograms starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.
Clinical breast exams (CBE) should be part of a periodic health exam, about every three years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and over.
Women should report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s.
Women at increased risk (e.g., family history, genetic tendency, past breast cancer) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of starting mammography screening earlier, having additional tests (e.g., breast ultrasound or MRI) or having more frequent exams.
As always, you should contact your health care provider to see what is the best screening plan for you.
Visit www.cancer.org for more detailed information about breast cancer and the tests used to find it.
CERVICAL CANCER | Breast Cancer | Colon Cancer | Prostate Cancer
Who should get screened for cervical cancer?
All women should start getting checked either three years after they first start having sex, or starting on their 21st birthdaywhichever comes first.
Why should you get screened for cervical cancer?
PAP tests can find cervical cancer early and save your life.
The earlier you know about cervical cancer, the more likely you can be treated successfully.
Theres no way to know if you have cervical cancer until you get checked. Even if no one in your family has ever had cervical cancer, you may still be at risk.
The Ralph Lauren Center follows the cervical cancer screening recommendations of the American Cancer Society:
All women should begin cervical cancer screening about 3 years after they begin having vaginal intercourse, but no later than when they are 21 years old.
Screening should be done every year with the regular Pap test or every 2 years using the newer liquid-based Pap test.
Beginning at age 30, women who have had 3 normal Pap test results in a row may get screened every 2 to 3 years with either the conventional (regular) or liquid-based Pap test.
Women who have certain risk factors such as diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure before birth, HIV infection or a weakened immune system due to organ transplant, chemotherapy or chronic steroid use should continue to be screened annually.
Another reasonable option for women over 30 is to get screened every 3 years (but not more frequently) with either the conventional or liquid-based Pap test, plus the HPV DNA test.
Women 70 years of age or older who have had 3 or more normal Pap tests in a row and no abnormal Pap test results in the last 10 years may choose to stop having cervical cancer screening.
Women with a history of cervical cancer, DES exposure before birth, HIV infection or a weakened immune system should continue to have screening as long as they are in good health.
Women who have had a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and cervix) may also choose to stop having cervical cancer screening, unless the surgery was done as a treatment for cervical cancer or pre-cancer.
Women who have had a hysterectomy without removal of the cervix should continue to follow the guidelines above.
As always, you should contact your health care provider to see what is the best screening plan for you.
Visit www.cancer.org for more detailed information about cervical cancer and the tests used to find it.
COLON CANCER | Breast Cancer | Cervical Cancer | Prostate Cancer
Who should get screened?
Everyone age 50 or older should get a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer.
Why should you get screened for colon cancer?
A colonoscopy can find colon cancer early and save your life.
Colon cancer can almost always be prevented or cured if detected and removed early.
There is no way to know if you have colon cancer unless you get checked. Even if no one in your family has ever had colon cancer, you may still be at risk.
Colonoscopy
The Ralph Lauren Center agrees with the position of the NYC DOHMH that a Colonoscopy prevents colon cancer. Heres why:
Colonoscopy examines the entire colon.
It uses a flexible tube with a camera at one end, and generally lasts about 30 minutes.
Colonoscopies are safe and usually painless.
Patients may be sedated with pain medication and muscle relaxants.
There may be some discomfort.
The risk of complications is less than 1 in 1,000.
Early colon polyps or cancer usually cause no symptoms.
If a polyp is found, it can usually be removed painlessly during colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy is the only colon cancer examination that can actually remove growths (polyps) before they develop into cancer.
Colonoscopy is the only cancer screening method proven to prevent cancer in both men and women.
Colonoscopy is usually needed only every 5-10 years.
There are other colon cancer tests available if you feel uncomfortable with colonoscopy; however, they may not be as effective as a colonoscopy for detecting and treating colon cancer. Regardless of the test you choose, in all cases, positive results should be followed up with colonoscopy.
Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT)
Also called Hemocult Test, this is an acceptable alternative for low-risk patients unable or unwilling to undergo colonoscopy.
It finds small amounts of blood that cant be seen in the stool.
FOBT includes a card with instructions on taking stool samples at home and returning them for testing.
A positive result indicates that further testing may be needed.
Barium Enema X Ray
A chalky substance is given as an enema, and then a series of X rays is taken.
Should be done every 5 years.
Sigmoidoscopy
Uses a flexible tube inserted into the rectum, similar to colonoscopy.
The sigmoidoscopy tube is shorter, so does not examine as much of the colon as colonoscopy.
Unlike a colonoscopy, it doesnt remove polyps in the same way.
Should be done every 5 years.
As always, you should contact your health care provider to see what is the best screening plan for you.
Visit www.cancer.org for more detailed information about colon cancer and the tests used to find it.
PROSTATE CANCER | Breast Cancer | Cervical Cancer | Colon Cancer
Who should get checked for prostate cancer?
All men over aged 50. And for some men, testing should begin even earlier.
Why should you get screened for prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination (DRE) can find prostate cancer early and save your life.
There is no way to know if you have prostate cancer unless you get checked. Even if no one in your family has ever had prostate cancer, you may still be at risk.
The Ralph Lauren Center follows the prostate cancer screening recommendations of the American Cancer Society:
Both the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and digital rectal examination (DRE) should be offered annually, beginning at age 50, to men who have at least a 10-year life expectancy.
Men at high risk (African-American men and men with a strong family of one or more first-degree relatives (father, brothers) diagnosed at an early age) should begin testing at age 45.
Men at even higher risk, due to multiple first-degree relatives affected at an early age, could begin testing at age 40.
Depending on the results of this initial test, no further testing might be needed until age 45.
Information should be provided to all men about what is known and what is uncertain about the benefits and limitations of early detection and treatment of prostate cancer so that they can make an informed decision about testing.
As always, you should contact your health care provider to see what is the best screening plan for you.
Visit www.cancer.org for more detailed information about prostate cancer and the tests used to find it.
Source: American Cancer Society Web Site
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