By Dr. Goutam Mukhopadhyay, Senior Consultant & Clinical Lead – Surgical Oncology
Kolkata: Challenging one of the most common public health misconceptions, leading surgical oncologist Dr. Goutam Mukhopadhyay has emphasised that cancer screening is not meant only for those with symptoms — but is, in fact, most crucial for people who feel completely healthy.
Breaking the Myth Around Screening
A widespread belief persists that individuals who feel fit, eat well, and maintain active lifestyles do not require cancer screening. However, experts warn that early-stage cancers frequently develop silently, without pain or visible warning signs. Screening programmes are specifically designed to detect disease before symptoms appear.
Understanding What Screening Means
Cancer screening involves simple medical tests conducted in asymptomatic individuals to identify cancer or pre-cancerous changes at an early stage. Detecting abnormalities early allows for timely intervention, when treatment is more effective, less invasive, and far less disruptive to a patient’s life.
The Risk of Waiting for Symptoms
Oncologists caution that symptoms such as breast lumps, persistent cough, blood in stool, or unexplained weight loss often emerge only after cancer has progressed. At that stage, treatment becomes more complex and outcomes less predictable. Screening, by contrast, offers a critical time advantage — often making the difference between curative and prolonged treatment.
Cancers Where Screening Saves Lives
Medical evidence shows that routine screening significantly reduces mortality in several major cancers, including:
- Breast Cancer – Early detection through mammography
- Cervical Cancer – Identification of pre-cancerous cellular changes
- Colon Cancer – Detection and removal of polyps before malignancy
- Prostate, Lung & Oral Cancers – Screening in high-risk groups
These cancers may grow undetected for years, reinforcing the need for preventive testing.
Who Should Get Screened — and When
Screening recommendations vary based on age, gender, family history, and lifestyle risks such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, or chronic illness. Individuals with higher risk factors may require earlier or more frequent screening, though even low-risk, healthy individuals benefit from age-appropriate tests.
Screening as Prevention, Not Just Detection
Beyond early diagnosis, screening can actually prevent cancer. Treating pre-cancerous lesions — such as cervical cell changes or colon polyps — can stop cancer from developing altogether, making screening one of modern medicine’s most powerful preventive tools.
Addressing Fear and Stigma
Fear of diagnosis, medical procedures, or aggressive treatment often discourages people from screening. Specialists stress that early detection usually leads to less invasive therapies and better quality of life. Most screening tests are quick, safe, and minimally uncomfortable.
Making Screening Part of Routine Health Care
Doctors recommend integrating cancer screening into regular health check-ups, alongside blood pressure and diabetes monitoring. Routine consultations help assess individual risk and determine appropriate screening schedules.
A Shared Public Health Responsibility
While physicians guide screening decisions, public awareness and personal initiative remain vital. Families, workplaces, and communities play a key role in normalising preventive health conversations and encouraging timely testing.
A Preventive Message for the Future
Health experts reiterate that cancer screening is a safeguard for the healthy — not a test reserved for the sick. Early detection not only saves lives but preserves long-term quality of life and, in many cases, prevents cancer entirely.
In an era increasingly focused on preventive health, screening empowers individuals to take control of their future — proving that staying healthy is as much about prevention as it is about treatment.
