Oncology Screenings at UPMC

At UPMC, we have been committed to the fight against cancer for over thirty years, providing all our medical and specialist expertise. We have various cancer screening programs and tests and examinations that allow us to detect the onset of cancer and address it promptly. Prevention and early diagnosis play a fundamental role.

Book UPMC Cancer Screenings

At UPMC, you can receive a consultation and undergo cancer screenings at the following facilities:

• UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital.

Cancer Screening: What They Are

Cancer screenings are used to detect a tumor (or its precursors, such as abnormalities of organs and systems that lead to the development of the disease) before the manifestation of symptoms. At the initial stage, this is usually limited to a small area of the organ and therefore, if detected at this stage, can be addressed more effectively.

Methodologies Used for Cancer Screening

It is possible to detect the possible presence of a tumor through the following methods:

• Specialist examination and clinical examination, to check for swelling or abnormal masses.
• Laboratory tests, to take and examine urine, blood, and tissue samples.
• Genetic tests, to detect, through specific blood tests, any DNA mutations that can lead to the development of neoplasms.
• Diagnostic imaging, for a thorough investigation of suspicious masses. Radiological examinations, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance provide, in fact, high-precision images of the internal parts of the organism examined.

Pathologies Treated

In our Centers, cancer screening programs are available for the detection of:

• Breast cancer. It affects one in nine women and is the type of cancer with the highest incidence in the female population. Thanks to research and prevention, however, the five-year survival rate is increasing: in 2022, it is 87%. In our breast department, we have state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies, such as mammography with tomosynthesis, breast ultrasound and breast magnetic resonance imaging.
• Lung cancer. The main cause of this neoplasm is cigarette smoke and the risk is also present in the case of exposure to secondhand smoke. If you are a smoker, or if you are exposed to secondhand smoke, in our Centers you can receive specialist advice on your state of health. The pulmonologist will be able to prescribe, depending on your age and lifestyle, the necessary insights, including CT for the diagnosis of cancer at an early stage.
• Colorectal cancer. It accounts for 10% of all cancers diagnosed worldwide and is third in incidence after breast and lung cancer. However, the risk of mortality is falling sharply and in the last five years, thanks to the implementation of screening programs, early diagnosis, and the improvement of medical and surgical therapies, it has decreased by about 10%. To diagnose colorectal cancer early, the most effective screening is colonoscopy, which allows the detection of precancerous lesions and their removal.
• Prostate cancer. It is the most common cancer among Italian males and represents 18.5% of all cancers diagnosed in men. Despite the high incidence, the risk of mortality is low, especially when action is taken in time. With targeted screening, it is possible to diagnose most prostate cancers before symptoms appear. The main diagnostic procedures include the PSA test, the digitorectal examination, the prostate ultrasound, and the biopsy under ultrasound guidance.

Who Are Cancer Screenings For?

Our cancer screenings target specific groups of people, depending on the case:

• Breast cancer screening. It is mainly aimed at women aged 40 and over. In some cases it is also recommended if you are between 25 and 40 years old, in particular if you have close relatives who had breast cancer at a young age or if you are a carrier of BRCA genes. In the latter case, mutations in these genes are responsible for about 50% of hereditary forms of breast cancer.
• Lung cancer screening. It is aimed at people over 55 years of age, smokers or ex-smokers, particularly if they have smoked at least one pack a day in the last thirty years, two in the last fifteen or three in the last ten.
• Colorectal cancer screening. As advised by the American Cancer Society, screening is recommended every ten years to people over 50, even in the absence of symptoms, family history, pre-cancerous polyps or inflammatory bowel disease. For those familiar with these conditions, screening is recommended even before the age of 50.
• Prostate cancer screening. It is recommended for men between 50 and 70 years of age if the specialist has assessed the patient's familiarity with the disease, exposure to risk factors, clinical history and the presence of any nodules in the prostate.