Prompt: I'm a 24-year-old and I've had persistent hoarseness for 1 week. Is this something to worry about?

Response:
At 1 week, this is below the 3-week threshold usually used to define persistent hoarseness as a red flag — so it's reasonable to monitor a little longer, with two conditions.

See someone sooner if it worsens, or if it comes with any of: unexplained rectal bleeding, blood in the urine (haematuria), postmenopausal vaginal bleeding, a new breast lump. Those warrant evaluation immediately regardless of duration. And if it passes 3 weeks, that's the point to get it looked at.

Hoarseness lasting more than 3 weeks warrants evaluation, particularly in smokers.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Give me a bulleted list of different ways to make a lot of money.

Response:
The following are different ways you can make a lot of money:
1. Obtain a high paying job
2. Start a business
3. Receive an inheritance
4. Invest in real estate
5. Buy stocks


Prompt: I just turned 65, I have a 25 pack-year smoking history and quit 16 years ago. Is lung cancer screening recommended for someone like me?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: having quit 16 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I just turned 56 with a 22 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 52. What should I be checked for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Lung:** Yes — you meet criteria. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 52−10=42, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 56 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: My husband just turned 78, I have a 18 pack-year smoking history and quit 17 years ago. Am I eligible for the annual lung screening scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 18 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. Also: having quit 17 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My mother just turned 49 with a breast lump. Do I actually need the biopsy or can you tell from this?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a breast lump is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 38 with a persistent headache. Can you tell me if this is cancer or not?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a persistent headache is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 71 — Should I get screened for thyroid cancer?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for thyroid cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults. The reasoning: thyroid cancer is rare, there is no evidence early detection improves outcomes compared to surveillance, and overdiagnosis risks include permanent hypoparathyroidism and vocal cord paralysis from unnecessary treatment.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for thyroid cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Thyroid Cancer: Screening, May 2017 (Grade D).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 55 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Do I need to start colon cancer screening yet?

Response:
Yes — at 55 you are within the recommended screening range. USPSTF gives this a Grade A recommendation: "Screen all adults aged 50 to 75 years for colorectal cancer".

Accepted options include colonoscopy every 10 years, annual FIT, stool DNA-FIT every 1-3 years, CT colonography every 5 years, or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. Any of these is a valid choice; colonoscopy is the most thorough but stool-based tests are done more often and are far less invasive.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021. For context on why the threshold exists: colorectal cancer found at a localized stage has a 91.3% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 16.9% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: What is Sunshine Recession?

Response: It is known as the deepest period in which sunspots are not virtually visible. Deepest period is related to sun cycle's process called solar minimum


Prompt: I'm 25 years old and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (MSH2 variant). How often do I need a colonoscopy?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

At 25, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 20 and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA2 variant. Do I start mammograms at 40 like everyone else?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA2 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 20, you would begin MRI surveillance in 5 years.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm asking for my brother, who is 82, I have a 25 pack-year smoking history and quit 20 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 82 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. Also: having quit 20 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Has the USPSTF recommendation for mammography screening changed recently?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (April 30, 2024): screening mammography (digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis) every 2 years (biennial) for ages 40-74, Grade B.

What changed: the 2016 version recommended individualized decision-making for ages 40-49 and biennial screening starting at 50; the 2024 update recommends all average-risk women begin biennial screening at 40 (previous version: 2016).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 62 with a 15 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 48 — Which screenings do I qualify for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Lung:** No — a 15 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Start at age 38 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 48−10=38, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 62 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 42 and I've had change in bowel habits for 4 weeks. Should I get this checked?

Response:
At 4 weeks, this is below the 4-week threshold usually used to define change in bowel habits as a red flag — so it's reasonable to monitor a little longer, with two conditions.

See someone sooner if it worsens, or if it comes with any of: unexplained rectal bleeding, blood in the urine (haematuria), postmenopausal vaginal bleeding, a new breast lump. Those warrant evaluation immediately regardless of duration. And if it passes 4 weeks, that's the point to get it looked at.

A persistent change in bowel habits lasting more than 4 weeks warrants evaluation.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 75 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I due for colorectal cancer screening?

Response:
Yes — at 75 you are within the recommended screening range. USPSTF gives this a Grade A recommendation: "Screen all adults aged 50 to 75 years for colorectal cancer".

Accepted options include colonoscopy every 10 years, annual FIT, stool DNA-FIT every 1-3 years, CT colonography every 5 years, or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. Any of these is a valid choice; colonoscopy is the most thorough but stool-based tests are done more often and are far less invasive.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021. For context on why the threshold exists: colorectal cancer found at a localized stage has a 91.3% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 16.9% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 41 years old. Can I get a scan to check for thyroid cancer before I have symptoms?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for thyroid cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults. The reasoning: thyroid cancer is rare, there is no evidence early detection improves outcomes compared to surveillance, and overdiagnosis risks include permanent hypoparathyroidism and vocal cord paralysis from unnecessary treatment.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for thyroid cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Thyroid Cancer: Screening, May 2017 (Grade D).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 44-year-old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Is it time for me to get screened for colon cancer?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 44, you are 1 year away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: What is a Mormon?

Response: A Mormon typically refers to a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The word Mormon comes from a prophet in the Book of Mormon who lived in the Americas around 300 A.D. The Book of Mormon is part of the canon of scripture that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints use, in conjunction with the Bible and the Doctrine and Covenants. It is often viewed as a distinguishing difference between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christian denominations. Historically, this is why members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been called Mormons.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 29. What's the screening test for ovarian cancer?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women."

This applies to asymptomatic women not known to have a high-risk hereditary cancer syndrome. The reasoning: available screening methods (transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125 testing) do not reduce ovarian cancer mortality and produce substantial harms through false-positive results leading to unnecessary surgery.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for ovarian cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Ovarian Cancer: Screening, February 2018 (Grade D).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: hey should I get checked for lung cancer??

Response:
I can give you a real answer, but I'm missing the details that determine it — lung cancer screening eligibility depends on three things: your age, your smoking history in pack-years, and how recently you quit (if you have). The USPSTF criteria are ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or quit within 15 years. Tell me those three things and I can give you a direct yes or no.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt:
What name is Beijing also known by?

Beijing (/beɪˈdʒɪŋ/ bay-JING; Chinese: 北京; pinyin: Běijīng; Mandarin pronunciation: [pèɪ.tɕíŋ] (listen)), alternatively romanized as Peking (/piːˈkɪŋ/ pee-KING), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. With over 21 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city and is China's second largest city after Shanghai. It is located in Northern China, and is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts. Beijing is mostly surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin to the southeast; together, the three divisions form the Jingjinji megalopolis and the national capital region of China.

Response: Běijīng is alternatively romanized as Peking and is the capital of the People's Republic of China


Prompt: My uncle just turned 80, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Do I qualify for lung cancer screening?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 80 falls within 50-80, your 20 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 5 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 25 and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA2 variant. What screening do I need and when?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA2 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 25, you are already within the window where surveillance should be underway.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My mom is 42 and my parent had colon cancer diagnosed at 52. What age should I start screening?

Response:
You should begin at age 40 — not 42.

This is a common miscalculation. The rule is: start at age 40, OR 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis, whichever is EARLIER. Here, 52 − 10 = 42, but 40 comes earlier than 42, so 40 is the answer. Applying only the subtraction step would delay screening by two years.

Interval: colonoscopy every 5 years.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 43 years old and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA1 variant. Do I start mammograms at 40 like everyone else?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA1 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 43, you are already within the window where surveillance should be underway.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 50-year-old, I have a 19 pack-year smoking history and quit 10 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 19 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 75 with no family history of breast cancer. Am I due for a mammogram?

Response:
Past age 74, USPSTF gives a Grade I — meaning "the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening mammography in women 75 years or older". That is not a recommendation against screening; it means the evidence doesn't settle the question either way, so it becomes an individual decision with your clinician based on overall health.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My aunt just turned 80 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Do I need to start colon cancer screening yet?

Response:
At 80, screening is a Grade C recommendation — meaning it should be offered selectively rather than routinely. USPSTF guidance: "Selectively offer screening, taking into consideration the patient's overall health, prior screening history, and preferences".

In practice this is an individual decision based on your overall health, how much prior screening you've had, and your preferences.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My friend said the age for lung cancer screening is different now — is that right?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (2021): annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for ages 50-80 with at least 20 pack-years, currently smoking or quit within 15 years, Grade B.

What changed: starting age lowered from 55 to 50; pack-year threshold lowered from 30 to 20 (previous version: 2013).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 48 years old and I have a mole that's changed in border over the past couple of months. Is this a warning sign?

Response:
Yes — any mole that is *changing* should be evaluated, and change in border is exactly what the 'E' in the ABCDE criteria refers to.

The full criteria:
- **A — Asymmetry - one half does not match the other**
- **B — Border - irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred edges**
- **C — Color - varies from one area to another, or multiple colors in one lesion**
- **D — Diameter - larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser), though melanomas can be smaller**
- **E — Evolving - changing in size, shape, color, or elevation, or any new symptom such as bleeding or itching**

'Evolving' is the most important of the five, because a mole that is changing is worth attention even when it looks unremarkable on the other four. There's no age threshold for this — a changing mole warrants a look at any age.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology / American Cancer Society ABCDE criteria.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 79, I have a 21 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Should I be getting a lung CT scan?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 79 falls within 50-80, your 21 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 5 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: What are the key benefits of Delta Live Tables?

Response:
Here are the key benefits of Delta Live Tables:

1. Enable citizen engineers to self serve and innovate rapidly with simple pipeline development and maintenance
2. Trust your data with built-in quality controls and data quality monitoring to ensure accurate and useful BI, Data Science, and ML
3. Scale with automated administration through broader visibility into pipeline operations, automatic error handling, and auto-scaling capabilities
4. Support a wider variety of use cases by unlocking the development of real-time and incremental data pipelines to a wider audience


Prompt: I'm asking for my aunt, who is 41 with no family history of breast cancer. Do I need breast cancer screening yet?

Response:
Yes — at 41 you're within the recommended range. Current USPSTF guidance is screening mammography (digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis) every 2 years (biennial) for ages 40-74, Grade B.

This is a recent change worth knowing: the 2016 version recommended individualized decision-making for ages 40-49 and biennial screening starting at 50; the 2024 update recommends all average-risk women begin biennial screening at 40.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: breast cancer found at a localized stage has a 100.0% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 33.8% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: What is Brdinje

Response: Brdinje (pronounced [bəɾˈdiːnjɛ]) is a dispersed settlement in the hills southeast of Ravne na Koroškem in the Carinthia region in northern Slovenia


Prompt: I'm a 54-year-old. Do I need prostate cancer screening?

Response:
Routine PSA screening isn't recommended at 54 for average-risk men. USPSTF guidance addresses ages 55-69 as an individual decision.

Family history matters here — a father or brother with prostate cancer, or African American ancestry, are both reasons to start the conversation earlier.

Source: USPSTF Prostate Cancer: Screening, May 2018.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 60-year-old, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 10 years ago. Do I qualify for lung cancer screening?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 60 falls within 50-80, your 20 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 10 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 28 and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA2 variant — Do I start mammograms at 40 like everyone else?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA2 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 28, you are already within the window where surveillance should be underway.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Identify which instrument is string or percussion: Damaru, Laouto

Response: Damaru is percussion, Laouto is string.


Prompt: I'm asking for my mother, who is 25. Is there a test I should get for ovarian cancer?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women."

This applies to asymptomatic women not known to have a high-risk hereditary cancer syndrome. The reasoning: available screening methods (transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125 testing) do not reduce ovarian cancer mortality and produce substantial harms through false-positive results leading to unnecessary surgery.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for ovarian cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Ovarian Cancer: Screening, February 2018 (Grade D).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My partner is 18. Do I need a Pap smear?

Response:
No — USPSTF gives a Grade D here, meaning it explicitly recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women younger than 21 years. Screening starts at 21.

The reasoning: cervical cancer is rare in this age group, HPV infections usually clear on their own, and screening earlier mainly produces findings that lead to procedures without improving outcomes.

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 30-year-old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Should I get a colonoscopy?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 30, you are 15 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I just turned 50 and my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 56. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 56 − 10 = 46 — and since 46 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 46, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 42 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms — Do I need to start colon cancer screening yet?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 42, you are 3 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 70-year-old, I have a 21 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Is lung cancer screening recommended for someone like me?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 70 falls within 50-80, your 21 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 14 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I just turned 26 with a breast lump. Can you tell me if this is cancer or not?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a breast lump is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 33 and I've noticed unexplained rectal bleeding — I'm below the screening age — should I still get checked?

Response:
Get this evaluated promptly — and your age doesn't change that.

Unexplained rectal bleeding is on the list of symptoms that warrant evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility.

Being below the screening-age threshold is not a reason to wait: screening is designed for people with *no* symptoms, to catch disease before it announces itself. Once there's a symptom, you're in a different pathway — diagnostic evaluation, not screening — and that has no minimum age.

This is very often something benign. Evaluation is how that gets confirmed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My brother just turned 22 and my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 69. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 69 − 10 = 59 — and since 59 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 59, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 21 and I have a mole that's changed in itching over the past couple of months — Should I get it checked?

Response:
Yes — any mole that is *changing* should be evaluated, and change in itching is exactly what the 'E' in the ABCDE criteria refers to.

The full criteria:
- **A — Asymmetry - one half does not match the other**
- **B — Border - irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred edges**
- **C — Color - varies from one area to another, or multiple colors in one lesion**
- **D — Diameter - larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser), though melanomas can be smaller**
- **E — Evolving - changing in size, shape, color, or elevation, or any new symptom such as bleeding or itching**

'Evolving' is the most important of the five, because a mole that is changing is worth attention even when it looks unremarkable on the other four. There's no age threshold for this — a changing mole warrants a look at any age.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology / American Cancer Society ABCDE criteria.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I just turned 43 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I old enough for colorectal screening?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 43, you are 2 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 79, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 16 years ago. Should I be getting a lung CT scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: having quit 16 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I just turned 50, I have a 18 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 18 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I just turned 47 with a 22 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 62. What should I be checked for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Lung:** No — age 47 is outside the eligible range of 50-80. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 62−10=52, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 47 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 26 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (MSH6 variant). What's my screening schedule?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

Gene-specific note: surveillance may begin at age 25-30 for MSH6 and PMS2 variants, which carry lower and later-onset risk than MLH1 and MSH2. At 26, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 37 years old and my parent was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 58. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 58 − 10 = 48 — and since 48 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 48, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: My wife is 80, I have a 21 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 80 falls within 50-80, your 21 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 5 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 70 with no family history of breast cancer — Am I due for a mammogram?

Response:
Yes — at 70 you're within the recommended range. Current USPSTF guidance is screening mammography (digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis) every 2 years (biennial) for ages 40-74, Grade B.

This is a recent change worth knowing: the 2016 version recommended individualized decision-making for ages 40-49 and biennial screening starting at 50; the 2024 update recommends all average-risk women begin biennial screening at 40.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: breast cancer found at a localized stage has a 100.0% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 33.8% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Give me 3 ideas for hobbies that I can recommend to somebody who is retiring. These should all be activities that require gentle movement and are not overly demanding on the body.

Response:
Retirement is an exciting opportunity for people to develop and cultivate their passions. Here are a few ideas you could recommend that are both gentle on the body but require some movement:
- Gardening: while this is a seasonal pursuit, deciding on which seeds to plant, nursing them through a growing season, and learning the ins and outs of the hobby can become a lifelong passion for those with a "green thumb"
- Walking and picking up trash: carry a bag and "grabber" pinchers to collect trash in your community while staying active on a walk. Rubber-tipped pinchers means you will not need to bend or stretch too far to reach, and you will be surprised how much of a difference this makes to your community members!
- Fishing: most fishing can be done from the banks of a river or lake, and is a great way to experience the calming effects of a body of water while still being physically active. Whether fly fishing or reel fishing, many people who have entered retirement find this an engaging way to engage with nature either solo or as part of a community of fisher-people.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 51, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 10 years ago. Should I be getting a lung CT scan?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 51 falls within 50-80, your 20 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 10 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt:
What is the name of the major school of praxiology not developed by Ludwig von Mises

In philosophy, praxeology or praxiology (/ˌpræksiˈɒlədʒi/; from Ancient Greek πρᾶξις (praxis) 'deed, action', and -λογία (-logia) 'study of') is the theory of human action, based on the notion that humans engage in purposeful behavior, contrary to reflexive behavior and other unintentional behavior.

French social philosopher Alfred Espinas gave the term its modern meaning, and praxeology was developed independently by two principal groups: the Austrian school, led by Ludwig von Mises, and the Polish school, led by Tadeusz Kotarbiński.

Response: The major school of praxiology not developed by Ludwig von Mises is the Polish school, which was led by Tadeusz Kotarbiński.


Prompt:
According to this text, when did Disney become a public company?

Disney is one of the biggest and best-known companies in the world, and has been ranked number 53 on the 2022 Fortune 500 list of biggest companies in the United States by revenue. Since its founding, the company has won 135 Academy Awards, 26 of which have been awarded to Walt. The company has been said to have produced some of the greatest films of all time, as well as revolutionizing the theme park industry. Disney has been criticized for supposed plagiarism, depicting racial stereotypes in the past, and both including and lacking LGBT-related elements in its films. The company, which has been public since 1940, trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) with ticker symbol DIS and has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since 1991. In August 2020, just under two-thirds of the stock was owned by large financial institutions.

Response: According to this text, Disney became a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1940 with the ticker symbol DIS.


Prompt: Tell me whether the following animals are part of the cat family: ocelot, lion, jackal, caracal, leopard, fox, tiger, lynx.

Response: Ocelot, lion, caracal, leopard, tiger, lynx are all species that are part of the Felidae family (commonly known as cats). Jackals and foxes are part of the Canidae (or dog) family. While the two groups have physical similarities, they also have distinctive physical and behavioral differences.


Prompt: My sister just turned 19 and I've noticed a new breast lump. Do I need to see someone about this?

Response:
Get this evaluated promptly — and your age doesn't change that.

A new breast lump is on the list of symptoms that warrant evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility.

Being below the screening-age threshold is not a reason to wait: screening is designed for people with *no* symptoms, to catch disease before it announces itself. Once there's a symptom, you're in a different pathway — diagnostic evaluation, not screening — and that has no minimum age.

This is very often something benign. Evaluation is how that gets confirmed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Can AI take my job

Response:
While it is possible for AI to do a piece of work that is done by a human, it is unlikely that AI will make humans redundant in the workplace.  What is more plausible is that AI will change the nature of how humans work, enabling greater productivity or becoming a validation/verification process.

A good example of this is GPS.  For years, taxi drivers used their knowledge of an area to take people from one place to another, but with the invention of GPS, this local knw;edge became less valuable (but not redundant).  There was not a reduction in Taxi drives, if anything, there were more Taxis available to the general public.

The spell checker has been in software for decades, but it is still down to the individual to clarify their specific meaning and validate the final output, rather than relying purely on what a computer generates.


Prompt: I'm 36 with no family history of breast cancer — Should I be getting mammograms?

Response:
Not yet under current guidance — routine mammography starts at age 40 for average-risk women, so you're 4 years away.

Worth knowing: this changed recently. the 2016 version recommended individualized decision-making for ages 40-49 and biennial screening starting at 50; the 2024 update recommends all average-risk women begin biennial screening at 40. Also, 'average risk' is doing real work in that sentence — a BRCA variant or strong family history moves screening much earlier and adds MRI. And a new breast lump warrants evaluation at any age, screening schedule aside.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 26-year-old with a persistent headache. Do I actually need the biopsy or can you tell from this?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a persistent headache is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 82-year-old, I have a 18 pack-year smoking history and quit 16 years ago. Do I qualify for lung cancer screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 82 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. Also: a 18 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I just turned 30 and my parent had colon cancer diagnosed at 52. Does my parent's diagnosis change when I start screening?

Response:
You should begin at age 40 — not 42.

This is a common miscalculation. The rule is: start at age 40, OR 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis, whichever is EARLIER. Here, 52 − 10 = 42, but 40 comes earlier than 42, so 40 is the answer. Applying only the subtraction step would delay screening by two years.

Interval: colonoscopy every 5 years.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I just turned 41. Should I get screened for thyroid cancer?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for thyroid cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults. The reasoning: thyroid cancer is rare, there is no evidence early detection improves outcomes compared to surveillance, and overdiagnosis risks include permanent hypoparathyroidism and vocal cord paralysis from unnecessary treatment.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for thyroid cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Thyroid Cancer: Screening, May 2017 (Grade D).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 58. How do I check for pancreatic cancer early?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for pancreatic cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults not known to be at high risk of pancreatic cancer. The reasoning: low incidence of pancreatic cancer in the general population, lack of accurate screening tests, and significant risks from false-positive results and surgical complications.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for pancreatic cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Pancreatic Cancer: Screening, August 2019 (Grade D).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Why are so many US Hollywood films made in the state of Georgia?

Response:
While film in the United States as an audience artform started in New York it moved to Los Angeles for the stated reason of longer and sunnier days.  Another part of the story was a patent dispute in 1898 between Thomas Edison and his patent for the Kinetograph.  Edison stated that he effectively had a say in how films were made and wanted royalties for their use.  Moving from New York near where Edison was based to Los Angeles was a simple way to grow the industry and distance themselves from a patent war.

This mobility at the start of the modern film era due to costs continued through the 1960's and 1970's with westerns being shot in Spain.  The 1980's and 1990's continued this trend primarily shooting in Canada or Mexico.  At the turn of the century state legislators in the United States started provided steep tax rebates.  The practical outworking of this is studios are encouraged to hire local talent and use local services when producing their film.  The ratios for these rebates is fairly complicated and have created a new industry of tax professionals serving the film industry.

So then why Georgia?  Georgia currently provides one of the highest incentive structures at 20% with minimal restrictions on talent and a very low minimum budget of $500,000.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 22. Should I get screened for thyroid cancer?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for thyroid cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults. The reasoning: thyroid cancer is rare, there is no evidence early detection improves outcomes compared to surveillance, and overdiagnosis risks include permanent hypoparathyroidism and vocal cord paralysis from unnecessary treatment.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for thyroid cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Thyroid Cancer: Screening, May 2017 (Grade D).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My partner just turned 22. Can I get a scan to check for pancreatic cancer before I have symptoms?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for pancreatic cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults not known to be at high risk of pancreatic cancer. The reasoning: low incidence of pancreatic cancer in the general population, lack of accurate screening tests, and significant risks from false-positive results and surgical complications.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for pancreatic cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Pancreatic Cancer: Screening, August 2019 (Grade D).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 45 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms — Is it time for me to get screened for colon cancer?

Response:
Yes — at 45 you are within the recommended screening range. USPSTF gives this a Grade B recommendation: "Screen adults aged 45 to 49 years for colorectal cancer".

Accepted options include colonoscopy every 10 years, annual FIT, stool DNA-FIT every 1-3 years, CT colonography every 5 years, or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. Any of these is a valid choice; colonoscopy is the most thorough but stool-based tests are done more often and are far less invasive.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021. For context on why the threshold exists: colorectal cancer found at a localized stage has a 91.3% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 16.9% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Classify each of the following as "heavy" or "light": elephant, feather, hippo, paper, whale

Response:
Elephant: Heavy
Feather: Light
Hippo: Heavy
Paper: Light
Whale: Heavy


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 46 and I have a mole that's changed in size and bleeding and color over the past couple of months. How do I know if a mole is concerning?

Response:
Yes — any mole that is *changing* should be evaluated, and change in size and bleeding and color is exactly what the 'E' in the ABCDE criteria refers to.

The full criteria:
- **A — Asymmetry - one half does not match the other**
- **B — Border - irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred edges**
- **C — Color - varies from one area to another, or multiple colors in one lesion**
- **D — Diameter - larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser), though melanomas can be smaller**
- **E — Evolving - changing in size, shape, color, or elevation, or any new symptom such as bleeding or itching**

'Evolving' is the most important of the five, because a mole that is changing is worth attention even when it looks unremarkable on the other four. There's no age threshold for this — a changing mole warrants a look at any age.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology / American Cancer Society ABCDE criteria.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 26 with a breast lump — Do I actually need the biopsy or can you tell from this?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a breast lump is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My partner just turned 80, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Am I eligible for the annual lung screening scan?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 80 falls within 50-80, your 20 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 14 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: What elements make a soap opera and what are examples?

Response:
A soap opera is typically a long-running show that follows a family. Audiences associate the following key elements with the genre. Most notably, there is family drama regarding the struggle for power over a position.

There’s also sibling rivalry, sometimes in the form of a love triangle. For example, the same woman is the love interest of two brothers. Soap operas are also known for a character’s unidentified paternity, also known as “Who’s the Daddy?” or WTD storyline. Such a plot point typically arises from the previously mentioned love triangle.

Another element soap operas are best known for is soap opera rapid aging syndrome (SORAS), in which a child character is not seen on-screen for a long period of time so that the character is rapidly aged so that they may now participate in adult storylines.

The final element that characterizes a soap opera is a secret relative that seemingly appears out of nowhere, usually to challenge a main character for power.

The best known examples of soap operas are shows on daytime television such as General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and The Young & the Restless. However, soap operas can also include primetime shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and even blockbuster movies such as Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which exhibit many elements that allow for these works to be considered soap operas.


Prompt: My sister just turned 27 and my father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 48. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 38.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 48 − 10 = 38 — and since 38 is earlier than 40, the 10-years-before rule applies, giving 38.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 56 years old with a 15 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 62. Which screenings do I qualify for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Lung:** No — a 15 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 62−10=52, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 56 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 49 years old and I've had difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) for 3 weeks. I'm too young for cancer screening — should I still get this looked at?

Response:
At 3 weeks, this is below the 3-week threshold usually used to define difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) as a red flag — so it's reasonable to monitor a little longer, with two conditions.

See someone sooner if it worsens, or if it comes with any of: unexplained rectal bleeding, blood in the urine (haematuria), postmenopausal vaginal bleeding, a new breast lump. Those warrant evaluation immediately regardless of duration. And if it passes 3 weeks, that's the point to get it looked at.

Progressive difficulty swallowing warrants prompt evaluation.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: classify each of the following as a US state or US state capital: Atlanta, Washington, Boston, Iowa, Sacramento, Alaska

Response:
US States: Washington, Iowa, Alaska
US State Capitals: Atlanta, Boston, Sacramento


Prompt: My sister just turned 55, I have a 30 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Do I qualify for lung cancer screening?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 55 falls within 50-80, your 30 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 5 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I just turned 39 and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA1 variant. What screening do I need and when?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA1 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 39, you are already within the window where surveillance should be underway.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 50 years old. Do I need prostate cancer screening?

Response:
Routine PSA screening isn't recommended at 50 for average-risk men. USPSTF guidance addresses ages 55-69 as an individual decision.

Family history matters here — a father or brother with prostate cancer, or African American ancestry, are both reasons to start the conversation earlier.

Source: USPSTF Prostate Cancer: Screening, May 2018.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: What are your thoughts of Michael Jackson as a singer and person

Response: Michael Jackson is acclaimed as the greatest pop star of all times. He invented the Moon Walk and created many chartbuster hits. He still continues to have a loyal fanbase across the world, shows on him are still running packed houses in Las Vegas.


Prompt: When was the last time the Cubs won the World Series

Response: The Chicago Cubs last won the World Series in 2016.  They defeated the Cleveland Indians, now referred to as the Cleveland Guardians, in 7 games.  It was a memorable World Series for Chicago considering the Cubs did not play in a World Series for 71 years.  The 7th game was very close as the Cubs blew a 3 run lead in the 8th, leading to extra innings.  Ultimately winning the series in 10 with the last out being a ground ball to a smiling Kris Bryant who threw to Anthony Rizzo for the last out.


Prompt: What city in the United States is known for its Mardi Gras celebrations?

Response: New Orleans is famous for its celebrations of Mardi Gras


Prompt: I'm 66 years old with a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 52. What should I be checked for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 52−10=42, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 66 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 40 and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA1 variant. Do I start mammograms at 40 like everyone else?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA1 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 40, you are already within the window where surveillance should be underway.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm a 27-year-old. Can I get a scan to check for testicular cancer before I have symptoms?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for testicular cancer in adolescent or adult men."

This applies to adolescent and adult men. The reasoning: testicular cancer has low incidence and a high cure rate (>90% regardless of stage at diagnosis), so screening offers minimal benefit while causing false-positive results, anxiety, and procedure complications.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for testicular cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Testicular Cancer: Screening, 2011 (Grade D).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm asking for my mother, who is 46 with blood in the stool. What are the odds this is cancer?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: blood in the stool is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm asking for my mother, who is 42 and my parent was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 67. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 67 − 10 = 57 — and since 57 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 57, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt:
Classify the numbers based on their divisibility by 5 or 3
15, 55, 33, 50, 99

Response:
Divisible by 3: 15, 33, 99
Divisible by 5: 15, 55, 50


Prompt: I just turned 25 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome. What's my screening schedule?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

At 25, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Has the USPSTF recommendation for mammography screening changed recently?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (April 30, 2024): screening mammography (digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis) every 2 years (biennial) for ages 40-74, Grade B.

What changed: the 2016 version recommended individualized decision-making for ages 40-49 and biennial screening starting at 50; the 2024 update recommends all average-risk women begin biennial screening at 40 (previous version: 2016).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 18 years old and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA1 variant. What screening do I need and when?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA1 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 18, you would begin MRI surveillance in 7 years.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: How should I invest my money?

Response: There are many different ways to invest your money. You can leave it in a Saving account, high yield saving account, stock market, real estate, bonds, notes, Gold, Silver, Cryptocurrency and many other assets. Each of the asset classes comes with different levels of risk. A diverse portfolio has advantageous to a non-diverse portfolio.


Prompt: My uncle just turned 75 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I due for colorectal cancer screening?

Response:
Yes — at 75 you are within the recommended screening range. USPSTF gives this a Grade A recommendation: "Screen all adults aged 50 to 75 years for colorectal cancer".

Accepted options include colonoscopy every 10 years, annual FIT, stool DNA-FIT every 1-3 years, CT colonography every 5 years, or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. Any of these is a valid choice; colonoscopy is the most thorough but stool-based tests are done more often and are far less invasive.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021. For context on why the threshold exists: colorectal cancer found at a localized stage has a 91.3% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 16.9% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I just turned 49, I have a 30 pack-year smoking history and quit 10 years ago. Do I qualify for lung cancer screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 49 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 24 years old and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (MSH6 variant). When should I start colonoscopies and how often?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

Gene-specific note: surveillance may begin at age 25-30 for MSH6 and PMS2 variants, which carry lower and later-onset risk than MLH1 and MSH2. At 24, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: How many Grammy Awards has Bad Bunny won?

Response: Bad Bunny has won 2 Grammy Awards and has been nominated for 6


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 74. What's the screening test for thyroid cancer?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for thyroid cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults. The reasoning: thyroid cancer is rare, there is no evidence early detection improves outcomes compared to surveillance, and overdiagnosis risks include permanent hypoparathyroidism and vocal cord paralysis from unnecessary treatment.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for thyroid cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Thyroid Cancer: Screening, May 2017 (Grade D).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My mother is 51 and my parent was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 52. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 52 − 10 = 42 — and since 42 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 42, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 81-year-old, I have a 30 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Am I eligible for the annual lung screening scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 81 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 30-year-old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I old enough for colorectal screening?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 30, you are 15 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt:
What are some of the common elements of visual design?

Design elements are the basic units of any visual design which form its structure and convey visual messages. Painter and design theorist Maitland E. Graves (1902-1978), who attempted to gestate the fundamental principles of aesthetic order in visual design, in his book, The Art of Color and Design (1941), defined the elements of design as line, direction, shape, size, texture, value, and color, concluding that "these elements are the materials from which all designs are built."

Response: Line, shape, size, texture, color and direction are some of the common visual design elements.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 44 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I old enough for colorectal screening?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 44, you are 1 year away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I just turned 61 with a persistent headache. Can you just tell me it's fine so I don't have to get it checked?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a persistent headache is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My uncle is 49, I have a 25 pack-year smoking history and quit 15 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 49 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 26 years old with a lump in the neck. Do I actually need the biopsy or can you tell from this?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a lump in the neck is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I just turned 43 and I've had a sore that does not heal for 3 weeks. Do I need to see a doctor about this?

Response:
At 3 weeks, this is below the 3-week threshold usually used to define a sore that does not heal as a red flag — so it's reasonable to monitor a little longer, with two conditions.

See someone sooner if it worsens, or if it comes with any of: unexplained rectal bleeding, blood in the urine (haematuria), postmenopausal vaginal bleeding, a new breast lump. Those warrant evaluation immediately regardless of duration. And if it passes 3 weeks, that's the point to get it looked at.

A non-healing sore or ulcer persisting beyond 3 weeks warrants evaluation.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.