One focus of the statutory screening programmes is the early detection of cancer. In cancer in particular, successful treatment and often survival depend on detecting the tumour early. Because many types of cancer still cannot be detected early, the main focus is on the early detection of cervical cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, bowel cancer and prostate cancer.
The benefits catalogue of the statutory health insurers for cancer screening includes the following examinations:
- Depending on your insurer, skin cancer screening every 2 years from the age of 18 (special benefit; regularly from 35)
- Women from 20: annual genital examination (questions about menstrual problems, discharge etc.; smear and cytological examination) – (at the gynaecologist)
- Women from 30: annual breast and skin examination (questions about symptoms and changes; palpation of the breasts and regional lymph nodes; instructions for self-examination) – (at the gynaecologist)
- Women and men from 35: skin cancer screening every 2 years (examination of the whole skin for suspicious changes) – (at the family doctor or dermatologist)
- Men from 45: annual examination of the prostate, genitals and skin (questions about changes and symptoms; palpation of the prostate and lymph nodes) – (at the family doctor)
- Women and men from 50: annual examination of the colon and rectum (palpation of the rectum, iFOBT test for blood in the stool) – (at the family doctor)
- Men from 50, women from 55: colonoscopy for cancer screening (or alternatively an iFOBT every year), repeated once after 10 years or earlier and more often depending on the findings – (iFOBT at the family doctor, colonoscopy at the gastroenterologist)
- Women from 50 to 69: mammography screening every two years (invitation to a breast X-ray at certified screening units) – (at the radiologist or a specialised gynaecologist)