The physical examination is normal every year, but he has advanced cancer. Is it useless?
2020-05-26
This is a real case-from the common "cold" to the diagnosis of advanced lung cancer, the whole process took only 11 days.
Aunt Li in her early 60s is very concerned about her health. Her daughter bought a high-priced medical checkup package for her. The annual medical checkup results are normal except for high blood pressure.
At the end of January 2018, Auntie Li started coughing more than once, and went to a private clinic for a cold. Treated with a cold, the cough has not improved. In February, after coughing for 11 consecutive days, her daughter persuaded Aunt Li to have a lung CT, but the test results were shocking. Aunt Li was diagnosed with lung cancer and was at an advanced stage.
The mother and daughter didn't understand, and every year of the physical examination, no abnormalities were found. How can one check that the cancer is advanced?
I believe that people who see this case will ask: Is n’t Aunt Li who has a physical examination every year, the results of the physical examination have been very normal? Why was cancer detected suddenly? Is the medical examination really useless?
1 What is the "check" in the physical examination?
First, we must know the purpose of the medical examination.
The medical examination is to help everyone understand their own health status and carry out their own health management inspection! "The purpose of the physical examination is to reduce the disability and lethal rate of major chronic diseases." The professor introduced that the physical examination is to screen various system diseases or disease risks of the body. Cannot solve the problem, what you should do at this time is to see a doctor.
Speaking of physical examination, many people have headaches, how to choose so many packages? The more expensive the price and the more comprehensive the inspection, the better? Not too! The content of the medical examination is not simply an accumulation of items, nor is it better to do more.
2 Physical examination, but cancer?
It's because your checkup method is wrong! Do you have a personalized medical examination program? The professor introduced—the best state of medical examination is—to find the biggest problem with the least money. Physical examination first needs to consider personal family history, life history, disease history, working environment, cultural background, economic status and other customized personalized, urgently needed physical examination items.
Before the health checkup, most people will fill out a health questionnaire containing the above questions to help the doctor determine the risk factors and formulate the health checkup items. You need to answer these questions:
1. Tell the doctor if he has a previous medical history and family genetic disease;
2. Communicate existing health problems, such as physical discomfort, etc .;
3. Communicate your usual lifestyle, lifestyle, and even working status, such as smoking and drinking, working overtime, serious socializing, etc .. Let the doctor know as much as possible about potential health threats.
In order to be responsible for the results of the medical examination, it is best to fill in the health questionnaire before the medical examination seriously and responsibly, and finally choose the medical examination project that suits you according to the doctor's evaluation and recommendations.
3 Do you know about "1 + X" screening?
What is "1 + X" screening?
On the basis of screening 1 (required / conventional medical examination items), according to the personal conditions of the medical examination objects, individually design individualized medical examination packages for X (special medical examination items designed according to each system of the human body). Say--
This year we will do special screening for the respiratory system, next year we will do the cardio-cerebrovascular system, and the endocrine system the next year ... In this way, we will choose 2-3 systems for physical examination every year with a period of 2-3 years to establish a set for the subject. Whole-body, systematic and perfect health records.
This inspection method not only emphasizes the demand, but also effectively avoids omissions. It not only achieves special disease screening, but also provides comprehensive coverage!
Regarding the choice of the X package, it is recommended that on the basis of personalized medical examination, people with relevant disease risk factors should be targeted for key screening.
Like the example of Auntie Li at the beginning of the article, many diseases now have no obvious symptoms, but they are often found at an advanced stage. If you do not pay attention to key item screening during medical examination, these diseases are likely to be missed.
The professor pointed out that lung cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer, etc. are all deep hidden diseases, which are likely to be found to be advanced, and the usual physical examination methods are difficult to find. The following people are best screened through these special physical examinations check:
Lung cancer: All people over the age of 40 or those with a family genetic history or long-term smoking history and high-risk occupational exposure are high-risk groups of lung cancer. Low-dose spiral CT should be performed once a year because low-dose CT is an early screening for lung cancer The most effective means.
Colorectal cancer: An anal finger examination once a year can find more than half of rectal cancer. People with no family history of colorectal cancer are recommended to have a stool occult blood test + 1 colonoscopy every year from the age of 50; high-risk groups (30 to 40 People over the age who have gastrointestinal symptoms, those with a history of colorectal cancer, colon polyps, and obese people should have a colonoscopy once a year.
Breast cancer: Women under the age of 40 are rich in glands, color ultrasound is recommended first; married women over the age of 40 can choose to do molybdenum target examination.
Gastric cancer: People over the age of 40 have gastroscopy every two years. People with a family history of gastric cancer or living in areas with high incidence of gastric cancer should have gastroscopy once a year.
4 Don't commit these medical errors!
Missed "low probability, low risk" special cancer screening
The professor emphasized that in particular, those cancer screening items that seem to be relatively low risk to some people should not be missed, such as lung cancer screening for women. For example, Professor Liu found that in recent years, many female patients have been screened for lung cancer during physical examination. It is understood that these female patients do not seem to have the risk of lung cancer (no smoking, nor are they in a second-hand smoke environment). I will not do targeted screening for lung cancer, but I found lung cancer during the physical examination ...
Therefore, it is recommended that you do not miss any of the tests based on your own experience.
Abandon the "embarrassing" medical examination items: In addition, some medical examination items need to expose private parts or have pain and other discomforts, such as anal finger examination, gastroscopy, gynecological examination, etc. Many people will automatically give up, which is likely to cause serious illness, really It is highly recommended not to do this! Finger anus examination can detect 50% to 70% probability of rectal cancer. It is a very meaningful and huge examination, but many people chose to give up during the physical examination process. It is a pity!
The annual physical examination of some parts is harmful: in the human body, some parts are not suitable for annual physical examination. For many IT industry practitioners, X-ray examination of cervical spondylosis is a project that they are not new to, but this project is not done every year. The X-ray received by the cervical spondylosis examination has a very obvious effect on the thyroid and will have a certain carcinogenic effect. If you must do a cervical spine examination, it is recommended to choose a non-harmful item under the guidance of a doctor, such as nuclear magnetic resonance.
About "Tumor Marker Screening": In the physical examination, "Tumor Marker Screening" has become a popular physical examination item for many people. When the physical examination results show the result of "elevated tumor markers", many people doubt themselves. Will get cancer ...
Professor Liu explained that "tumor markers" have two main functions:
1. Help high-risk groups to discover early;
2. Help cancer patients to monitor the effect of tumor treatment.
First of all, the tumor marker will not be zero, and the usual lifestyles such as drinking, supplementation, and inflammation all have an effect on it; the fluctuation of the "tumor marker" within a short period of time ≠ got the tumor, but the dynamic and continuous increase must be Be alert.
After the physical examination is the new starting point of health management
The professor said that he has seen such a situation in his work: some people report the medical report as "shelf" after the medical examination is completed, and some even avoid medical treatment, and do not take some controllable and accessible measures to improve, it is a pity!
As mentioned earlier, "the purpose of the physical examination is to understand your own health status and carry out active self-health management." Especially for chronic diseases that can be managed through lifestyle, diet, exercise, etc., it should be targeted. Treatment and control.
It is best to do this after a health checkup:
1. Consult relevant experts in a timely manner;
2. Active health management: lifestyle, diet management, sports management, psychological management, etc .;
3. If you need further treatment, it is best to be able to see a doctor in time.
