Blood tests for colorectal cancer: What to know
The American Cancer Society recently released updated colorectal cancer screening guidelines for people at average risk for the disease. This includes adding blood tests as a new screening option.
Adults at average risk for colorectal cancer should begin screening at age 45. Blood tests are not meant to replace a colonoscopy, which is still considered the gold standard test for colorectal cancer. Blood tests provide an alternative...
Breast cancer risk assessments: What to know
Whatever your question, odds are there’s an online resource that promises an answer. That means it’s just as easy to search ‘What should I...
When to see a dermatologist about a skin change
As a dermatologist, I get a lot of questions about skin changes, what they mean and what to do about them.
Being aware of changes to...
Sigmoidoscopy: Purpose, procedure and how it compares to a colonoscopy
An anoscopy examines the anus, and a colonoscopy examines the colon. So, what does a sigmoidoscopy examine? Hint: the answer is in the name.
A sigmoidoscopy – sometimes called a flexible sigmoidoscopy – is a procedure doctors use primarily to see inside the rectum and sigmoid colon.
You may be wondering what conditions a sigmoidoscopy can help diagnose and how a sigmoidoscopy differs from a colonoscopy. Here, I’ll answer...
When a breast cancer oncologist becomes a breast cancer patient
Jennifer Litton, M.D., knows more than most about breast cancer. As a breast medical oncologist and UT MD Anderson’s chief clinical research...
Why is breast cancer so common?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with breast cancer, you’re not alone. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women...
What to expect during a clinical breast exam
While mammograms are the gold standard breast imaging for breast cancer screening, they are performed along with a clinical breast exam. In...
5-time cancer survivor: Dual diagnoses led me to MD Anderson
The first time I had cancer, I was in my late 20s. What I thought was a persistent zit on my nose turned out to be basal cell carcinoma. I...
What to expect at your first mammogram
You may feel nervous about getting your first screening mammogram. After all, it’s your first one, so you don’t know exactly what to expect...
What are multi-cancer detection (MCD) tests, and should you get one?
Last updated June 23, 2026
Multi-cancer detection tests (MCD), also known as multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests, offer the potential...