How MuchDo You Know About Medical Tests? (NAPSA)—Here’s a health hint: The more questions you ask before a medical test, the better you may feel. Amongotherthings, doctors say to find out what exactly will happen during the procedure, how long it will take and whether you can drive yourself home afterward. Here’s a short quiz to help further prepare you for your next medical test. 1.) Whenis the best time for a woman to have a Pap smear? A) Two weeksafter the start of herlast period. B) One week after the start of herlast period. C) Whenshereaches age 20. 2.) True or False: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. 3.) When should a woman begin doing regular breast exams? A) When she starts to menstruate. B) After she becomes sexually active. C) Whenshereaches age 20. 4.) When doctors on ER ask for a “CBC,” they want: A) Acellular bone contrast B) Check for bio-contaminants C) Complete blood count Answers 1.) A: The best time to get a Pap smear is two weeksafter a woman's last menses. 2.) True. Except for skin cancer and lung cancer, prostate canceris the most common and deadly form of cancer for American men. That’s why the American Cancer Society recommends annual pros- Learning about medical tests can help make them seem less stressful. tate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for all men over age 50. 3.) C: Women should perform regular breast exams beginning at age 20. 4.)D: A CBC is a general screening test that provides information about a person’s health. For more answers to questions like these, as well as other medical advice, consumers can check books such as the Johns Hopkins Consumer Guide to Medical Tests. This 400-page encyclopedia provides detailed profiles of more than 170 widely used medical tests. The Guide is from Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D., and the editors of the Health After 50 newsletter from Johns Hopkins. U.S. News and World Report ranked Hopkins the number-one medical facility in the U.S. for 12 consecutive years. To order, call 800-829-9170 or visit www.hopkinsafter50.com.
