disease screening form

After the age of 20, the focus is on infectious and reproductive diseases, at the age of 30, basic metabolic and cancer screenings are added, after the age of 40, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular and in-depth cancer screenings are added every two years, and after the age of 60, the screening for age-related degenerative diseases is added every year. Those with family history/bad living habits can add targeted items on this basis. There is no need to spend money randomly with the "luxury package" of the physical examination institution.

Last month, I accompanied my 32-year-old sales cousin to get the physical examination report. Last year, she was tricked by a consultant into buying a VIP package worth RMB 8,999. She even had a PET-CT. When she showed it to her general practitioner, half of the items were classified as "not sick and looking for guilt": the radiation dose of PET-CT is equivalent to that of even a doctor. Ordinary people with no family history of cancer and no clear suspected symptoms do not need to take 100 more chest X-rays. There are also "tumor metabolism screening" and "trace element complete set". The reference value for ordinary people of this age is approximately 0, and half of the money spent is paid IQ tax.

Speaking of tumor markers, this has also been a controversial issue in the medical examination circle for many years. My friends in the laboratory department always complain to me that 90% of ordinary people who come for tumor marker examinations spend their money in vain. The false positive rate of this examination can reach 30%. Staying up late, catching a cold, or even eating hot pot the day before may cause the indicators to rise. In the end, it is found to be too high and I am scared to death. I have gone through a series of examinations but nothing has happened, which has added to the psychological burden for several months. But oncology doctors have a different view. They will recommend that high-risk groups with a family history of cancer, smoking/alcohol abuse/exposure to toxic and harmful substances all year round should be checked every year. Even if there are many false positives, it is better than missing early cancer signals. After all, it is often too late by the time symptoms actually appear.

Oh, by the way, children in their early 20s should not always think that they don’t have any diseases when they are young. Those who have just come out to work and live together, often eat out, and have sex, it is best to get tested for infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, AIDS, and syphilis every two years. After girls turn 21, they can start to do combined HPV+TCT screening every three years. Even if they are sexually active under the age of 21, there is no need to rush to get tested. Most HPV infections are transient and can turn negative on their own. If tested, it will make them prone to anxiety. I met a 22-year-old girl at a community free clinic before. She had never had a gynecological screening. She went for a check-up because of bleeding in the same room, and found out that she had been infected with HPV16 for almost 2 years. Fortunately, she was discovered early and the disease was not serious enough, so she just needed regular follow-up.

When you reach the age of 30, you will find that it takes three days to stay up late, and you will not be able to lose weight no matter how much weight you have on your belly. At this time, the focus of screening will have to shift. Blood lipids, blood sugar, uric acid, thyroid function, and Helicobacter pylori all need to be added. After all, three out of ten migrant workers now have high blood lipids, four have high uric acid, and half have Helicobacter pylori. There is also a controversial point here: Most gastroenterologists believe that if you are positive for Helicobacter pylori and there is no family history of stomach pain, gastric ulcer, or gastric cancer, there is no need to eradicate it at all. Taking medicine indiscriminately will disrupt the intestinal flora. ； However, epidemiological doctors will recommend killing them as soon as they are detected. After all, this bacteria is spread by mouth. If there are elderly and children at home, it is easy for the whole family to be infected. The choice depends on your actual situation. In addition, those who have smoked for more than 10 years or smoked second-hand smoke all year round can replace their annual chest X-rays with low-dose spiral CT at this age, which is much more sensitive than chest X-rays and can detect millimeter-level early-stage lung cancer. The radiation dose is also much smaller than that of ordinary CT.

The age of 40 is a hurdle. You can hear news that several peers have myocardial infarction and have been diagnosed with cancer. At this time, in addition to regular items, it is really necessary to have a gastrointestinal endoscopy every 3-5 years and a carotid artery color ultrasound every year. My dad was 48 years old last year. He always felt that he was in great health. It took three years of persuasion before he agreed to undergo a carotid artery color ultrasound. The result was that he had an unstable soft plaque. If it had been a year or two later, the plaque would have fallen off and blocked the cerebral blood vessels, which would be a cerebral infarction. Now he takes medicine every day to control it, and nothing happens. Ordinary people do not need to do invasive and expensive items such as coronary CT and cerebral angiography during physical examination. First, do a carotid artery color ultrasound to see if there are plaques, which can predict the health status of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases with a high probability.

After the age of 60, don’t just focus on major diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Screening for vision, hearing, bone density, and cognitive function must also be arranged. Many elderly people think that it is normal for them to have blurred vision and forget things as they get older. In fact, some of them are early signs of cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. Early intervention can delay the course of the disease for several years and improve the quality of life.

To be honest, I have arranged physical examinations for about ten people in my family in the past few years. My biggest feeling is that there has never been a "universal perfect screening form". The items that are suitable for others may not be suitable for you. Don't blindly follow the trend and add items, and don't skip the tests that should be done to save money. After all, the essence of screening is to nip serious diseases in the bud at the minimum cost.

Oh, by the way, here’s a final reminder: “One drop of blood can detect 100 cancers,” “Saliva gene testing can detect all genetic diseases,” and “Gynecological screening that comes with ovarian care” are all IQ taxes. For screening, you must go to a regular public hospital or a public physical examination institution. Don’t believe the three-no free clinics in your circle of friends and communities. They can trick you into buying health care products and tell you a bunch of diseases for those who are not sick.