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Are you planning to do a body check? Body checks help you identify health problems before they develop. Checking in with a doctor to assess your health means early, often asymptomatic, signs of disease can be caught in their early stage. Most non-communicable diseases, the most common being cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, are treatable, preventable and much less fatal in their early stages. While there is currently a debate amongst physicians as for how often physical examinations should be provided in public health systems, several countries recommend visiting your physician on an annual basis.
Unlike a lot of comparable countries, the Hong Kong public health system does not have a set of recommendations for when various populations should undergo screening tests. Hong Kongers must access body checks in private clinic settings, which are unregulated and not standardized. This means that packages, costs and user experience vary greatly depending on the provider.
Every body check should begin with a discussion about your family and personal health histories. It is crucial to be as informed about your family’s health history and as honest as possible with your physician about any habits that may affect your health so they can paint the picture as accurately as possible.
Be aware that some screening tests have the possibility of returning a false positive. It is important to understand that there are risks involved in screening tests as well. Please consult your physician for medical advice.
In the absence of official government recommendations in Hong Kong, we have based guidelines on collected information from comparable countries’ public health systems and expert opinions. With the help of Dr. Kevin Lau 劉仲恒醫生, we have put together a list of items that should be included in your next body scan. See our references and methodology at the end of this article.
Genetic screening analyzes your DNA and informs you which non-communicable diseases you are more susceptible to. This does not necessarily mean you will develop this disease but rather indicate which illnesses you are at higher risk of developing. While some people may find this a bit nerve-wracking, it does provide insights into the preventative measures you can take to avoid becoming ill.
Genetic screening is available in private clinics across Hong Kong for adults over 18 years old. When considering genetic screening, it is important to investigate which lab the clinic of your choice uses as the quality varies.
Population/age: Adults; people at high risk – close relative or history of skin cancer
Recommended test: Self-skin examination and/or whole-body MRI
Frequency: Your physician can advise how often, typically every 6 months if anything is abnormal
Population/age: Aged 18+
Recommended test: BMI and waist circumference measurement
Frequency: Every 2 years if normal; every 12 months if increased risk of obesity; every 6 months if currently obese or overweight
Population/age: Aged 18–50
Recommended test: Blood pressure measurement
Frequency: Every 2 years
Population/age: Pap smear - women aged 20-70, starting two years after becoming sexually active; Cervical Cancer Test – women aged 25+
Recommended test: Pap smear or Cervical Cancer Test (tests only for HPV)
Frequency: Pap smear - Every 2 years if normal; more frequently with an abnormal result. The Cervical Cancer Test is recommended every 5 years, more frequently with an abnormal result.
Population/age: Women with a family history of ovarian cancer
Recommended test: Serum CA125 measurement, transvaginal ultrasound
Frequency: As per your physician’s recommendation
Population/age: Adults with no risk factors of glaucoma
Recommended test: Eye examination
Frequency: Every 2–3 years or as per your physician’s recommendation
Population/age: Women aged 25–64 who have had sexual contact
Recommended test: Cervical Pap Smear
Frequency: Every 3–5 years
Population/age: Individuals aged 30–70 with a family history of nasopharyngeal cancer
Recommended test: EBV serology blood test, nasopharyngoscopy
Frequency: Every 12 months
Population/age: Beginning at age 40
Recommended test: Diabetes risk assessment tool (questionnaire, varies by country)
Frequency: Every 3 years
Population/age: People at high risk (impaired glucose testing or impaired fasting glucose)
Recommended test: Fasting blood sugar levels
Frequency: Every 12 months
Population/age: People at high risk (aged 45+ with obesity and/or high blood pressure; history of CVD issues; taking antipsychotic drugs)
Recommended test: Fasting blood sugar levels
Frequency: Every 3 years
Population/age: Women aged 40–74
Recommended test: Mammogram
Frequency: Every 1 year
Population/age: People at low risk of CVD
Recommended test: CT coronary calcium/ fluoroscopy heart/ ultrasound echocardiography transthoracic
Frequency: Every 2 years
Population/age: People at intermediate risk of CVD
Recommended test: CT coronary calcium
Frequency: Every 12 months
Population/age: People at high risk of CVD
Recommended test: MRI heart with and without stress, with IV contrast/US echocardiography transthoracic stress/ Tc-99m SPECT MPI rest and stress
Frequency: Regular checks as per your physician
Population/age: Aged 50+
Recommended test: Colonoscopy
Frequency: Every 10 years
Population/age: People at increased risk of colorectal cancers; age depends on family history
Recommended test: Colonoscopy
Frequency: Every 5 years
Population/age: Adults 55–80 with a history of smoking > 30 packs per year
Recommended test: Low dose computed tomography
Frequency: Every 12 months
Population/age: Men aged 65+; long-term smokers; family history
RVecommended test: Ultrasound
Frequency: One time
Population/age: Aged 65+
Recommended test: Eye and hearing test
Frequency: Every 12 months
Population/age: Women aged 65+
Recommended test: Various (ultrasound, sonography)
Frequency: As per your physician
It is important to note that if you are experiencing new and unexplained symptoms, there is no need to wait for a body check – it is highly recommended to visit your physician.
We have reviewed sources from The US Preventative Services Task Force; The American Cancer Society; the US-based National Institute of Health, the Australian, Canadian, UK, and New Zealand Department of Healths’ respective screening programs. Some of the recommendations in these sources are based on cost-effective population-level screening, whereas some are based on the best age for individuals to begin looking for these diseases. In order to reflect the most comprehensive individual-level recommendations, the advice provided here is based on the lowest age provided by any of our sources.
For our cancer recommendations, we reviewed the top ten cancers in Hong Kong, based on incidence. We have included those cancers that had published screening recommendations on the US Preventative Services Task Force website.
Cancers that do not have screening recommendations but that are in the Hong Kong top 10 cancers (by incidence) are:
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[i] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/skin-cancer/prevention-and-early-detection/skin-exams.html
[iv] http://www.health.gov.au/internet/screening/publishing.nsf/Content/cervical-screening-1
[v] https://www.timetoscreen.nz/cervical-screening/
[vi] https://canadiantaskforce.ca/guidelines/published-guidelines/cervical-cancer/
[vii] https://www.hkacs.org.hk/en/screening_guideline.php
[viii] https://opto.ca/health-library/frequency-of-eye-examinations
[ix] https://www.healthline.com/health/pap-smear#pap-smear-frequency
[x] https://www.hkacs.org.hk/en/screening_guideline.php
[xii] http://www.cancerscreening.gov.au/internet/screening/publishing.nsf/Content/about-breast-screening
[xiii] https://acsearch.acr.org/docs/3082570/Narrative/
[xv] https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/UpdateSummaryFinal/lung-cancer-screening
[xvii] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-screening/
Dr. Kevin Lau 劉仲恒醫生 graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong and is currently the Medical Director at Trinity Medical Imaging Centre in Central. He is qualified as a Fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists (United Kingdom), The Hong Kong College of Radiologists and The Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. He obtained his Master in Public Health & Master in Public Administration from the University of Hong Kong.
Wear clothes that you feel comfortable in and easy to take off, as some exams may require taking off/changing clothes. If you are going to have an X-ray, please do not wear metal accessories.
Physical examinations can help prevent disease and detect health problems in the early stage, thereby reducing your potential medical expenses.
Different body check items have different precautions (for example, whether fasting/ avoiding certain food or drinks is required, and whether it can be performed during menstruation). It is recommended to ask carefully when making an appointment.
This article was independently written by Healthy Matters. It is informative only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be relied upon for specific medical advice.
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