How primary care doctors help patients prevent cancer and catch it early

Primary physicians live up to their name when it comes to cancer care, providing a first chance to catch conditions early, and to promote prevention.

“Primary care physicians are your first line of defense against cancer,” says Matthew Farrell, M.D., an Ohio State Wexner Medical Center primary care physician and a clinical associate professor of family and community medicine.

There are several ways primary care doctors help patients identify potential cancers, including examinations and consultations about symptoms, family history, recommended screenings and more.

“We want to be that first line that says, ‘Here's what we think is going on, here's the initial testing that we think you need,’” Farrell says. “If we find something, we’re going to get you to the right specialist who's going to be able to help.”

Click here for information about dozens of types of cancer, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at The Ohio State University.

Checking possible cancer symptoms

With their extensive knowledge of symptoms, primary care doctors save countless lives by identifying potential signs of cancer early, leading to diagnostic testing and treatment.

While symptoms are often the result of less serious conditions — that peace of mind alone can be well worth the visit — when cancer is present, primary care visits can be the first steps to early detection and life-saving therapies.

“If you have a symptom you're worried about, go talk to your family doctor,” Farrell says. “I can look at something and say ‘I'm glad you brought that to my attention, but that's actually not a concern,’ but I also look for a few red flags that might make me think, ‘This sounds like it might be something else.’”

Here are some of the possible symptoms that should lead to appointments with primary care physicians:

·      Moles/lesions that are asymmetrical, have irregular borders, vary in color, change over time and/or larger than a pencil eraser

·      Lumps on or under the surface of the skin

·      Unexplained weight loss

·      Unexplained, lasting fatigue

·      Recurrent fevers and/or sweating at night

·      Blood in stool

·      Coughing up blood

Click here for information on cancer screening and diagnosis at the OSUCCC – James.

Discuss your family health history

Whether or not they have symptoms, it’s important that patients share their family health histories with their doctors to determine if high-risk measures, including screening and genetic testing, might be needed to raise the chances of cancer prevention or early detection.

“Sometimes, a patient’s family history can lead me to be more inclined to suggest they get screened a little bit sooner than I would otherwise recommend,” Farrell says. “I ask about first-degree relatives — their parents, siblings and children — but also their second-degree relatives, such as grandparents and aunts and uncles.

“If I see a pattern, such as a certain number of relatives with the same cancer, especially at an early age, there could be a genetic factor.”

HPV vaccination for cancer prevention

Family doctors help patients prevent a lot of health conditions through vaccinations, and one of the most important protects against human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause multiple types of cancer, including the vast majority of cervical cancers.

“HPV is an extremely common virus, and there are certain strains that can lead to cancer,” Farrell says. “So, we have a vaccine against cancer, and I find that to be amazing.”

Primary care doctors regularly talk to parents about the importance of HPV vaccination for their kids, but they also discuss it with adults who may still benefit from the vaccine’s cancer prevention properties.

“The official recommendation is that everybody ages nine to 26 should have this,” Farrell says. “But, even if you're older than that — 27 all the way up to age 45 — you can consider getting it after discussion with your doctor to see if it might be beneficial.”

Click here to learn more about genetic counseling at the OSUCCC – James.