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"### Biopsy Saver for Your Skin\\n\\nCancer tissue is much stiffer than healthy tissue. Elastography for skin cancer is a type of ultrasound exam that uses computer software to measure the flexibility of tissue, revealing stiff spots.\\n\\n__Pros &amp; cons__ The technique caught cancers at the same rate as biopsies, without the cutting, a 2009 study reported. But that was one study. Doctors don't yet know if elastography helps people live longer or better, says Michael LeFevre, M.D., co\u2013vice chairman of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.\\n\\n__How to screen now__ Elastography might be used experimentally on patients who want clues to whether their skin cancer might have spread, says Smith of the ACS. But without more research, all suspicious spots still need to be biopsied. Check monthly for changes, and have your derm take an annual look-see.\\n\\n### Lung-Screening Software\\n\\nWith chest X-rays, clavicles and ribs can block the view of tumors. Now software can suppress bones on digital X-rays to show only soft tissue, which unveiled 34 percent more cancers in one study.\\n\\n__Pros &amp; cons__ \\\"This method uses less radiation than lung CT scans do and is less expensive,\\\" says study author Matthew Freedman, M.D., associate professor of oncology at Georgetown University. It's promising, but finding more lumps doesn't necessarily result in better health, Smith notes.\\n\\n__How to screen now__ For now, no one younger than 45 should have routine lung cancer screening with any technology\u2014the benefits aren't proven, says Christine Berg, M.D, co\u2013lead investigator for the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial. Seek a scan only if coughing and chest pain persist for six weeks.\\n\\n### A 3-D Mammo\\n\\n\\\"When you compress the breast, you get overlapping structures that can mimic an abnormality or obscure it,\\\" Smith says.\\n\\n__Pros &amp; cons__ Tomosynthesis machines improve the view by creating a 3-D image from a series of 2-D scans. Tomosynthesis could be a boon to women with dense breasts, which are particularly hard to screen with traditional mammograms. But it's less proven (and less likely to be covered by insurance) than ultrasound plus mammogram, a combo that can also help screen dense breasts.\\n\\n__How to screen now__ If you have dense breasts, usually determined after your first baseline mammogram, talk to your doctor about which technology is best. Because expert advice varies, you'll also want to decide together whether to start regular scans at age 40 or age 50, and how often to get them.\\n\\n### An Ovarian Blood Test\\n\\nThe OVA1 blood test checks five proteins that act differently under a microscope when a woman has ovarian cancer, giving a score between zero and 10 to indicate the odds that a mass is cancerous.\\n\\n__Pros &amp; cons__ This test detected 76 percent of the malignancies missed by the standard CA 125 blood test used to detect ovarian cancer, a study in *Obstetrics and Gynecology* revealed. But there was a huge rate of false positives, something that could translate to women unnecessarily losing ovaries.\\n\\n__How to screen now__ We all long for better ovarian cancer tests, but OVA1 probably isn't the answer. Unless you carry a gene mutation, \\\"the potential harms of [any] screening outweigh the potential benefits,\\\" Dr. LeFevre says. Watch for symptoms like urinary changes, bloat, loss of appetite and wonky periods.\\n\\n[Your Cancer Questions, Answered](/health/2011/10/answers-to-your-cancer-questions)\\n\\n[6 Easy Ways to Save Your Life](/health/2011/10/lower-your-cancer-risk-slideshow)  \\n  \\nPhoto Credit: Cond\u00E9 Nast Digital Studio"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.self.com/story/new-cancer-screenings>