Cancer Prevention, Screenings, & Diagnosis

Take charge of your health by working to prevent cancer or catch it early—when treatment works best. Explore cancer prevention, screening, and diagnostic services at UNC Health Johnston.

Reduce Your Risk of Cancer

Your risk of cancer depends on your genes, lifestyle, and environment. Talk to your doctor about whether you may be able to lower your risk with:

• Healthy eating
• Hepatitis B vaccine to prevent liver cancer
• Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine to prevent genital and throat cancers
• Smoking cessation classes
• Use of sunscreen to prevent skin cancer
• Weight management, with help from staff and programs at HealthQuest Fitness & Wellness Center

Cancer Screenings

Screenings can find signs of cancer before you experience symptoms. That means if you need treatment, you can get it as early as possible.

Ask your doctor which of these cancer screenings are right for you based on your age, sex, and health history:

• Colonoscopy
• HPV test
• Lung cancer screening for current and former smokers who meet certain criteria
• Mammogram, including 3D mammography for the clearest images and most accurate results
• Pap test
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
• Skin cancer screening

Diagnosing Cancer

If your screening results or health symptoms suggest you need testing for cancer, your doctor may order a biopsy to determine whether you have the disease. This procedure removes a small sample of your tissue to examine under a microscope. An imaging scan or lab test can also help doctors diagnose cancer.