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The Cancer Center at Glens Falls Hospital provides a wide array of cancer screenings at locations across the region:

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Breast Cancer Screening

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Cervical Cancer Screening

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Skin Cancer Screening

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Prostate Cancer Screening Program

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Colorectal Cancer Screening

 

Breast Cancer Screening

Glens Falls Hospital Screening Programs

Are you at risk for Breast Cancer - click here to find out.Glens Falls Hospital provides breast screening aboard our mobile mammography van.   This comprehensive program provides a risk assessment, a mammogram performed by a certified radiology technologist, a clinical breast exam by a nurse and instruction in proper breast self-examination. 

Glens Falls Hospital is part of a New York State Department of Health program that provides free breast and cervical screenings to women who meet eligibility criteria. For more information, to determine if you are eligible for a free mammogram or to schedule an appointment for a mammogram please call 1-800-882-0121.

Breast Cancer Facts

Excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for one out of three cancer diagnoses in the United States.  Despite our best efforts, breast cancer will continue to strike one of every eight American women. 

Thanks to early detection and treatment programs, dramatic changes have occurred in the quality and length of life of women who have been diagnosed.  With early detection, a 90% cure rate has been achieved.

Through extensive study, physicians have also identified certain groups that seem to be at higher risk for breast cancer, including women with a personal or family history of breast cancer, women who are post-menopausal or have never been pregnant, and women who had their first full-term pregnancy after the age of thirty. It has also been determined that two-thirds of all breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50.

Early Detection Recommendations

The American Cancer Society recommends the following three tools for the early detection of breast cancer:

bulletPhysical Examination

bulletWomen over age 20: Breast self-exam monthly
bulletWomen age 20-40: Breast exam by a health care provider every three years
bulletWomen over age 40: Breast exam by a health care provider yearly
bulletMammography

bulletWomen age 40 and over should receive an annual mammogram
bulletFor women with a personal or family history of breast cancer,  mammography may be advised at an earlier age

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Cervical Cancer Screening

Glens Falls Hospital Screening Programs

Glens Falls Hospital is part of a New York State Department of Health program that provides cervical and breast cancer screenings to women who meet eligibility criteria. For more information, or to determine if you are eligible for a free Pap test , please call 1-800-882-0121.

Cervical Cancer Facts

Approximately 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year and about 7,000 women die from this disease annually.  Although the five-year survival rate is about 90% for persons with localized cervical cancer, it is considerably lower (about 40%) for persons with advanced disease.  The incidence of invasive cervical cancer has decreased significantly over the past 40 years, due in large part to early detection programs.

Several factors have been associated with an increased risk of developing cervical cancer and precancerous conditions.  These include sexual activity at an early age and with many different partners, and infection with the human papillomavirus.  This virus, which can be transmitted from the male during sexual intercourse, is known to cause genital warts that then increase the risk of cervical cancer.  Other risk factors include cigarette smoking and low socioeconomic status.  Extensive use of the Pap test by women who do not have symptoms has greatly reduced the death rate from cervical cancer by discovering very early cancers and precancerous changes.

Early Detection Recommendations

bulletPap Test
All women who are or have been sexually active, or who have reached age 18, should have an annual Pap test and pelvic examination. After a women has had three or more consecutive satisfactory normal annual examinations, the Pap test may be performed less frequently at the discretion of her physician.
bulletPelvic Examination
bulletWomen age 18-40: Every 1-3 years with a Pap test
bulletWomen over age 40: Annually

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Prostate Cancer Screening Program

Glens Falls Hospital Screening Programs

If you are a man age 50 or older, please talk to your physician about prostate screening or call us at 1-800-882-0121 for more information or to schedule a screening appointment.

Prostrate Cancer Facts

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in American men, and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men.  One out of every 11 American men will develop prostate cancer sometime during his life.  The risk increases with age. Seldom does prostate cancer occur before the age of 50.

The high rate of mortality results because prostate cancer rarely has symptoms in its earliest stages and, at this time, there is no cure for more advanced forms of the disease. In more than half of the prostate cancer cases, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body by the time it is discovered. The key to surviving prostate cancer is early detection through routine screening.

Early Detection Recommendations

The American Cancer Society and The American Urological Association recommend that men 50 years of age and older be screened yearly for prostate cancer. This screening should include:

bulleta digital rectal examination
bulleta prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test
bulletGlens Falls Hospital Screening Programs
Glens Falls Hospital offers low-cost prostate screening throughout the year at various locations around our region.

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Skin Cancer Screening

Glens Falls Hospital Screening Programs

Glens Falls Hospital provides annual skin cancer education and screenings to the community starting in the spring of each year. For more information or to schedule an education program or skin cancer screening, please call 1-800-882-0121.

Skin Cancer Facts

Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers.  Nearly one million cases of skin cancer occur in this country each year, most often among older fair-skinned people.

Most skin cancers are either the basal cell or squamous cell type.  These types of cancer tend to grow slowly and spread little, and nearly 95% can be cured.

Malignant melanoma is a much more serious form of skin cancer and is more likely to spread to other parts of the body. It was once rare in this country, but its rate is increasing faster than any other type of cancer — 4% every year.  If melanoma is detected in its early stages, before it has spread, it is almost 100% curable.

The main cause of skin cancer is overexposure to sunlight.  Fair-skinned people, especially those with red or blond hair, are at greatest risk.  People who work outdoors, such as farmers and construction workers, and those who go boating often, participate in many outdoor sports, or sunbathe, are also increased risk.

Children or teenagers who suffer severe, blistering sunburns are more likely to develop melanoma later in life.  The presence of certain moles also make it more likely that a person will develop melanoma.  One type of mole, the dysplastic nevus, has varying shades of brown, black, and pink within a single mole, and irregular or uneven borders, with the coloring fading into the skin around the mole. 

The best hope for the future lies in the prevention and early detection of skin cancers.  Most skin cancers can be prevented by avoiding unprotected exposure to the sun.  Any unusual spots on the skin, especially any that change in size or color, should be checked by a physician.

Early Detection Recommendations

The American Cancer Society recommends the following measures to help guard against skin cancer:

bulletTry to avoid the sun when its rays are strongest (10a.m.- 4p.m. ). Remember, the time of year, your proximity to the equator, and altitude are all factors in the intensity of the sun’s rays.
bulletWear clothing that covers up as much of your skin as possible, including a broad-brimmed hat. 
bulletUse a sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher on exposed areas of skin.
bulletDo not use sunlamps or visit tanning parlors or salons.  Whether a tan is achieved by artificial means or by natural sunlight, the ultraviolet dose adds to the total lifetime accumulation of UV and to the risk of skin cancer.
bulletHave your health care provider check any unusual blemish, mole, or other marking on the skin, especially one that is new or one that changes in size, color, or shape.

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Colorectal Cancer Screening

Glens Falls Hospital Screening Programs

Glens Falls Hospital offers colorectal cancer education and screening at various sites throughout the year.  For more information or to schedule a screening appointment, please call 1-800-882-0121

Colorectal Cancer Facts

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.  There are approximately 150,000 new cases and 60,000 deaths in the United States each year.  The disease affects males and females equally.  Colorectal cancer is exceeded only by lung and breast cancer in women and lung and prostate cancer in men.  With early detection and treatment while in the localized stage, the five-year survival rate for colon cancer is 90%, and approximately 80% for rectal cancer.

Colorectal cancers are believed to develop in part from precancerous polyps.  93% of colorectal cancers develop from adenomatous polyps; on average it will take a 1 centimeter adenoma 7 years to progress to invasive cancer.  94% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed in people over age 50. A personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, and inflammatory bowel disease, have been associated with increased colorectal cancer risk.  Other possible risk factors include physical inactivity, high-fat and/or low-fiber diet, as well as inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables. 

Ideally, screening procedures will result in detection and removal of precancerous or early malignant lesions before they develop into invasive cancers.  Early detection is the key to long-term survival.

Early Detection Recommendations

The American Cancer Society recommends the following early detection program:

bulletAnnual digital rectal examination for men and women age 40 and over
bulletAnnual Fecal Occult Blood Test for men and women age 40 and over
bulletSigmoidoscopy (preferably flexible for men and women age 50 and over  every three to five years.

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Cancer Center
102 Park Street, Glens Falls, New York 12801
Info: (518) 926-6620

Glens Falls Hospital
100 Park Street Glens Falls, New York 12801
Info: (518) 926-1000
Email: mail@gfhospital.org