Cancer screening, heredity, diagnosis and treatment planning

Cancer screening is the systematic search for the precursors or early stages of cancer from among the population.

The goal is to reduce deaths due to cancer among those screened. In Finland, legislation obliges municipalities to organize cancer screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer and intestinal cancer. If a positive result is found on the first screen, it does not immediately mean it is cancer. The diagnosis of cancer will only be confirmed by further examinations.

When there is a suspicion of cancer, several diagnostic tests are available. The doctor first examines the patient.  On basis of the examination and the patient's history, the doctor then orders the appropriate laboratory tests, imaging studies and interventions to diagnose the condition and, if there is cancer, to establish how widespread it is.

An important goal is to obtain a tissue or cell sample of the tumour, which a pathologist will examine.

Your health care provider will always give you detailed information of the planned examinations.

Cancers usually do not run in the family, but occasionally hereditary genetic factors predispose to cancer. Heredity is the cause of only 5–10% of all cancers.

These characteristics are typical of hereditary forms of cancer:

• cancer among several persons who are close of kin
• the type of cancer in the family is related to a familial gene mutation
• cancer at a young age.

If you are concerned that your disease may be hereditary, discuss this with your doctor. The doctor will assess the likelihood and may consult the unit of clinical genetics.

Multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTs) are meetings that focus on cancer care. They are organised to plan the treatment of cancer patients internationally. In Tyks they are organised for 14 different types of cancer. They are held mainly on a weekly basis.

At the MDT-meeting, specialists in a particular cancer (including a cancer surgery specialist, a cancer specialist, a pathology specialist, a radiology specialist and a cancer nurse) review the patient's overall situation, evaluate the results of the tests and make an individual recommendation for treatment. In some cases, the plan will be confirmed by further examinations. Not all cancer cases need to be discussed at an MDT-meeting, but the treatment plan will be based on the national treatment recommendation. The meeting also ensures that the patient is suitable for the cancer treatment available.