The suspicion that a cancer is growing is often aroused during a routine physical examination, the major part of what should be a yearly checkup of your general health. The physical examination is a thorough, systematic and progressive search throughout your body for signs of disease or abnormal function. To make sure that no significant area is missed, each physician generally develops his or her own standard pattern or sequence. Some start with the head and work down the body, others examine each organ system as a unit.
Whatever the pattern, a good physical examination with a view to detecting cancer involves a search of the entire body with a special emphasis on the parts that are most prone to malignancy.
• The nose and throat are examined. There is a quick and painless mirror examination of the larynx.
• The lymph node-bearing areas—such as the neck above the collarbone, under the arms and in the groin—are
checked.
• Specific attention is paid to the breasts in women and the prostate gland in men.
• The abdomen is carefully pushed and probed to detect enlargement of any of the abdominal organs, especially
the liver and spleen .
• Examination of the pelvic area in women, including a Pap smear, is essential to detect cancers of the cervix ,
uterus and ovaries.
• A probing of the rectum with a gloved finger is an essential part of the physical for both men and women.
During the examination, your doctor will ask you a lot of questions about various body functions. There will be
specific questions about hoarseness, signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, constipation, swallowing problems,
