Preventive Screening in Southlake, TX
Your screening schedule written down and tracked, so nothing quietly falls four years past due.
We see patients age 16 and older.
Screening only works if somebody keeps track of it. We build your screening schedule at your first visit, write it down, and check it at every appointment, so a mammogram or a colonoscopy does not quietly slip four years past due while everyone assumes someone else is watching.
Cancer screening
- Colorectal. Starting at 45 for average risk. Colonoscopy or a stool-based test, chosen after we talk through both honestly.
- Breast. Mammography starting between 40 and 50 depending on your risk and your preference, with a real conversation about the tradeoffs rather than a blanket rule.
- Cervical. Pap and HPV co-testing on the current interval for your age and history.
- Lung. Low-dose CT for adults 50 to 80 with a significant smoking history. This one is badly underused nationally and we look for it specifically.
- Prostate. A PSA discussion starting at 50, or 45 with a family history or African ancestry. It is a shared decision, not an automatic test.
- Skin. We look during your physical and refer to dermatology when something needs a closer eye or a biopsy.
Cardiovascular and metabolic
Blood pressure and a lipid panel, then a calculated 10-year cardiovascular risk estimate built from your actual numbers rather than a general impression.
Diabetes screening with A1c or fasting glucose starting at 35, earlier with obesity, a family history, or a history of gestational diabetes. A one-time abdominal aortic ultrasound for men 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.
Where your risk estimate lands in the borderline zone, coronary artery calcium scoring often settles the question. A score of zero is genuinely reassuring. A high score changes the conversation immediately. Details are on our heart disease prevention page.
Bone, mood and infectious disease
Bone density scanning starting at 65 for women and 70 for men, earlier with risk factors like early menopause, long-term steroid use, low body weight, rheumatoid arthritis, or a fracture after a minor fall.
Depression and anxiety screening at every physical, using scored tools so we can tell whether treatment is working instead of relying on impressions.
Hepatitis C once for every adult. HIV at least once. Sexually transmitted infection screening based on your actual history rather than assumptions.
What we do with an abnormal result
An abnormal screening test is not a diagnosis, and the gap between those two things is where a lot of unnecessary fear lives.
We explain what the result means, what the realistic possibilities are, and what the next step is. Then we make the referral, send your records with it, and follow up to make sure the appointment happened. Screening programs fail most often at the handoff, not at the test.
How the tracking works
Your screening list lives in your chart and prints with your visit summary. If you are overdue, you will hear about it at your next appointment and often before.
If you had a colonoscopy in 2021 at another practice, we want that report. Repeating a normal study three years early wastes your time, your deductible and a day of bowel prep nobody enjoys.
What we do not screen for
We do not run whole-body MRI scans, unvalidated multi-cancer blood panels, or broad hormone panels on asymptomatic people. These produce incidental findings that lead to biopsies of things that were never going to hurt you.
If you want one of them anyway, we will tell you honestly what the evidence does and does not support and let you decide.
Screening results feed straight into ongoing management of anything we find. Sex-specific intervals are covered in more depth on our women’s health and men’s health pages.
Start with our primary care Southlake overview if you are new to the practice.
Questions about your own case?
These pages describe how we treat this generally. What matters is your history, your labs and your medications, and that takes a visit. We are taking new patients now and most major insurance is accepted.
Questions patients ask
Which screenings am I actually due for?
It depends on age, sex, family history and risk factors. We build the list at your first visit and hand it to you in writing, then check it at every appointment after that rather than deciding fresh each year.
Are screenings covered by insurance?
Screenings recommended by the USPSTF are generally covered at no cost under most commercial plans and Medicare. Coverage changes if a screening becomes diagnostic, for example a colonoscopy where a polyp is removed. We flag that possibility before you go.
Colonoscopy or the stool test?
For average risk adults, either is a legitimate choice. Stool tests are easier and repeat more often. Colonoscopy is less frequent and removes polyps during the same procedure. With a family history or any symptoms, colonoscopy is the right answer.
When does colon cancer screening start?
Age 45 for average risk. Earlier with a family history, inflammatory bowel disease or certain genetic syndromes. We tell you which category you are in and why.
Can you order screenings without a full visit?
For established patients, often yes. New patients need one visit first so we know enough about you to order the right things rather than a generic panel.
Related care at Magnolia
2111 Kirkwood Blvd, Ste 110C, Southlake. Free parking directly in front.