The health screenings you need in your fifties

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Your back may feel stiffer, and everyday tasks a little harder as you move into your fifties.

The healthy habits you established earlier, including regular screenings, help detect potential issues early so you can address them before they worsen.

Screening and regular check-ups should continue into your fifties. Helen*, 57, realised this when a routine mammogram revealed a lump. “I was disciplined about having mammograms during my forties, and none showed any worrying results,” she says. “I thought I could relax a little after I turned 50.”

Helen let three years lapse before her next appointment. “I eventually went because the skin on my breast was looking dimpled and I felt breast pain.” She consulted her doctor, who referred her for a mammogram – that detected a lump.

Don’t neglect routine screens

Women should also get screened for other female cancers. For cervical cancer, a Pap smear is recommended every three years if the last three tests were normal, or every five years if the test is combined with HPV screening. Screening is still important after menopause because the risk of cervical cancer rises with age. If ovarian cancer runs in your family, your gynaecologist might also suggest a transvaginal ultrasound or a CA-125 blood test. This test checks for elevated levels of a protein called CA-125, which can indicate certain diseases.

Ongoing monitoring is just as important for male cancers, says Dr Francois van Niekerk, a family physician at Mediclinic Newcastle. Prostate cancer is a case in point: While checking for testicular lumps yourself is enough when you’re younger, men over 55 should have a PSA blood test. “Talk to your doctor – how often you need it depends on your risk profile,” he says.

Other important checks include colorectal screening. This can be done every year with a faecal occult test, which looks for tiny amounts of blood that might signal cancer or other problems, or with a colonoscopy. If the colonoscopy shows no issues, it only needs to be repeated every five years.

Skin screening is also important at this age, as the results of sun damage over the years start to become clear. Your dermatologist is likely to recommend annual mole mapping to monitor your risk.

Don’t just live a long life – live a healthy one, too

By your fifties, conditions like high cholesterol or diabetes may have already appeared. But regular screenings are important even if you have no symptoms, along with checks for blood pressure, BMI, bone density, joint health, and annual eye exams. These assessments help you take preventive action and maintain your vitality and wellbeing.