Detect diseases

Why early detection changes everything

Most diseases are easier to treat when caught early. This isn't a vague platitude; it's backed by hard numbers. Stage I breast cancer has a 5-year survival rate near 100%, while stage IV drops to 31% ^[1]. Stage I lung cancer survival sits at 67%; stage IV at 3%. Across nearly every cancer type, each step up in stage at diagnosis predicts substantially lower survival. The same principle applies to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver disease, where early intervention can halt or reverse progression that would otherwise become irreversible.

Yet traditional healthcare still operates reactively. You feel symptoms, visit a doctor, get diagnosed, and start treatment. Proactive health screening flips this sequence by looking for disease before it announces itself. The tools available today make this approach more practical and more accurate than at any point in medical history.

Cancer screening beyond standard protocols

Colonoscopy, mammography, and low-dose CT for lung cancer remain proven, guideline-recommended screenings. But they cover only a handful of cancer types. Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests are changing that picture. The Galleri test by GRAIL analyzes methylation patterns on cell-free DNA to screen for over 50 cancer types from a single blood draw ^[2]. The landmark NHS-Galleri trial, a randomized controlled trial of 142,000 participants, reported in 2026 that adding Galleri to standard screening reduced stage IV diagnoses of 12 deadly cancers by more than 20% after repeated annual testing and achieved a fourfold higher cancer detection rate ^[3].

These tests aren't perfect. A systematic review found Galleri's overall sensitivity at 51.5%, meaning roughly half of cancers can still be missed, particularly early-stage ones ^[4]. Specificity is high at 99.5%, so false positives are rare. MCED tests are best understood as a complementary layer on top of existing screenings, not a replacement. They're most valuable for cancer types like pancreatic, ovarian, and liver cancer that currently have no routine screening test.

Whole-body MRI offers another angle: detailed imaging without ionizing radiation. It can detect soft tissue abnormalities, organ changes, and early tumor formation. However, evidence of net benefit in healthy adults remains thin. A systematic review found that 95% of asymptomatic people had at least one abnormal finding, but 91% of those were clinically irrelevant, and only 1.8% turned out to be malignant ^[5]. The American College of Radiology does not currently recommend whole-body MRI for routine screening. For high-risk groups (such as people with Li-Fraumeni syndrome), annual whole-body MRI screening is more clearly justified.

Cardiovascular risk assessment

Heart disease kills more people globally than any other condition, yet traditional risk calculators based on age, blood pressure, and total cholesterol miss a significant share of at-risk individuals. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring via a low-dose CT scan directly images calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. A meta-analysis found that higher CAC scores are independently associated with increased cardiovascular events, even in people with no prior heart disease ^[6]. A CAC score of zero in someone over 45 is strongly reassuring and may justify deferring statin therapy, while elevated scores call for aggressive prevention.

Advanced lipid testing adds further precision. ApoB concentration is the single best blood marker for predicting cardiovascular risk. Lp(a), a genetically determined lipoprotein, is an independent risk factor that affects roughly 20% of the population and only needs to be measured once. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) ultrasound provides a non-invasive look at arterial wall changes over time. Together, these tools paint a far more accurate picture than a standard cholesterol panel.

Metabolic and genetic screening

• Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can reveal glycemic variability patterns linked to cardiovascular risk and insulin resistance before HbA1c reaches prediabetic thresholds, though evidence for CGM in non-diabetics is still emerging ^[7]
• DEXA scans measure bone density for osteoporosis risk and body composition including visceral fat, the metabolically most dangerous fat depot
• Genetic testing for actionable variants like BRCA1/2 (breast and ovarian cancer), Lynch syndrome (colorectal cancer), APOE4 (Alzheimer's risk), and Factor V Leiden (blood clotting) can guide personalized screening timelines
• Liver elastography (FibroScan) detects non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which affects an estimated 25% of the global population and often progresses without any symptoms

Building a screening calendar

There's no one-size-fits-all protocol. Your ideal screening schedule depends on age, sex, family history, genetic risk factors, and current biomarkers. A practical starting framework for adults over 30: annual comprehensive blood work (including advanced lipids, metabolic markers, and inflammatory markers), a baseline CAC score at 40 (repeat every 5 years if above zero), colonoscopy starting at 45, mammography from 40-50 depending on guidelines and risk, and consideration of annual MCED blood testing from age 50. In Germany, statutory health insurance covers a general check-up once between 18 and 35, then every three years from 35 onward, plus skin cancer screening from 35 and colonoscopy from 50.

Work with a physician who specializes in preventive medicine. The goal is catching problems when intervention is simple and effective. Overscreening carries its own risks: false positives, unnecessary biopsies, anxiety, and cascading follow-up procedures. The best screening strategy balances thoroughness with clinical judgment.