Our lives are busier than ever and so packed full of stuff that most of us are left feeling a little dazed and confused. It can be hard to just stop for a second and take care of ourselves. In some ways, it even feels like most of society is geared towards us not doing this and instead running ourselves ragged. The vast majority of people wouldn’t want to think about things as difficult as treatment options for prostate cancer, head and neck cancer treatment or any sort of treatment for any illness we might get. It’s scary and hard and no one wants to make the time for that. But, the truth is, that the more you plan for cancer treatments, whether traditional or more advanced cancer treatment options, the less of a hassle and a worry will be if the time comes for you to make use of them. It’s not just about cancer treatment therapy, either. There are a lot of different things that doctors test for in routine checkups, each tailored to the patient’s lifestyle and health. What follows is a short list of things you can ask about and get checked for next time you go to the doctor.

Genetic and family problems
Before we get into the more complicated processes such as treatment options for prostate cancer, it might help us to start with more localized issues such as genetic or disorders that might run in the family. To do this, let’s start with a theoretical woman named Mary. Now, Mary is a pediatrician herself who lives in the suburbs of San Francisco. She enjoys fishing, art museums and being outdoors but she has a slight vice. She smokes. With this in mind, she visits the doctor for her routine checkups and to make sure that everything is in order. So what questions should Mary start with when she asks the doctor about her health? It often helps to start with illnesses that have been close to home. It might be tempting to ask, again, about treatment options for prostate cancer or breast cancer treatment but these can come a bit later. Before Mary gets into the complicated stuff, she should ask anything questions relevant to her family history. Has her father had arthritis? Did her grandmother have a history of chronic pain? These are all things she’s going to want to take time and ask.
Screenings for cancer
Next, Mary is going to want to ask about the bigger illnesses. This can often be the scariest part but she shouldn’t back away from asking it and neither should you. It’s not wholly unrelated to the family issues questions, either. If your grandmother or father or sister or relatives have had any type of cancer, from brain to prostate to breast and beyond, then you should absolutely ask about getting screened. Even if you are young, it’s better to be safe than sorry. All professional doctors will happy to accommodate you should you feel the need to get screened. If you just ask, they will let you know the options available to you and what types of cancer you might want to be scanning for. Again, the more you know about the types of cancer your family has had, the easier this process potentially becomes. Dangerous hobbies like smoking also might necessitate asking for screening as well.
Other problems
There are so many others doctors can check as well. Treatment options for prostate cancer and breast cancer are important but they don’t constitute the entirety of your health. If you’ve had any aches or pains or unexplained problems, feel free to ask your doctor and get them looked at. Mary’s hobbies are pretty tame, except for smoking, so there isn’t much she should ask about. Fishing, maybe, to make sure hasn’t caught any parasites or water borne illnesses. Other than that, the last thing she should do, and knows to do, is ask when the next time is that she should come in. Health is a constant process, after all and it never ends. Stay on top of it and don’t worry.