Prompt:
Given the reference text about the Cy Young Award, please describe what the award is and why it is awarded.

The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955. The award was originally given to the single best pitcher in the major leagues, but in 1967, after the retirement of Frick, the award was given to one pitcher in each league.

Response: The Cy Young Award is given to the best pitches in the American and National leagues of Major League Baseball, for their achievements that exceed those of their peers.


Prompt: My uncle just turned 36 and my parent had colon cancer diagnosed at 52. When do I need my first colonoscopy?

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


Prompt: I'm asking for my mom, who is 40 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 40, you are 5 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: Quick question: I'm 67 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 describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Why do people like gardening?

Response: People like to garden to grow their own food, flowers, and medicine, as well as experience the outdoors and natural ecosystems around us.  Some also like to garden to improve the aesthetics and monetary value of their property.


Prompt: Who were the ten best baseball players in the history of the Boston Red Sox?

Response:
1. David Ortiz
2. Ted Williams
3. Babe Ruth
4. Cy Young
5. Pedro Martinez
6. Johnny Pesky
7. Carl Yazstrzemski
8. Carlton Fisk
9. Joe Cronin
10. Mookie Betts


Prompt: I'm 54 years old and I've had a sore that does not heal for 5 weeks. Should I get this checked?

Response:
Yes — get this evaluated. A sore that does not heal lasting more than 3 weeks is a recognised red-flag duration, and you're at 5 weeks. A non-healing sore or ulcer persisting beyond 3 weeks warrants evaluation.

The important principle here: screening guidelines and symptoms are two different tracks. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. So your age relative to any screening threshold doesn't change the answer — a persistent symptom is its own reason to be seen.

Most causes of this turn out to be benign. Getting it checked is how that gets established rather than assumed.

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:
What is the dominant character encoding for the World Wide Web?

UTF-8 is the dominant encoding for the World Wide Web (and internet technologies), accounting for 97.9% of all web pages, over 99.0% of the top 10,000 pages, and up to 100.0% for many languages, as of 2023. Virtually all countries and languages have 95.0% or more use of UTF-8 encodings on the web.

Response: The dominant character encoding for the World Wide Web is UTF-8. It is used by 97.9% of all web pages.


Prompt:
List the weapons of Goddess Durga in a comma separated manner.

Durga is a warrior goddess, and she is depicted to express her martial skills. Her iconography typically resonates with these attributes, where she rides a lion or a tiger, has between eight and eighteen hands, each holding a weapon to destroy and create. She is often shown in the midst of her war with Mahishasura, the buffalo demon, at the time she victoriously kills the demonic force. Her icon shows her in action, yet her face is calm and serene. In Hindu arts, this tranquil attribute of Durga's face is traditionally derived from the belief that she is protective and violent not because of her hatred, egotism or getting pleasure in violence, but because she acts out of necessity, for the love of the good, for liberation of those who depend on her, and a mark of the beginning of soul's journey to creative freedom.

Durga traditionally holds the weapons of various male gods of Hindu mythology, which they give her to fight the evil forces because they feel that she is shakti (energy, power). These include the chakra, conch, bow, arrow, sword, javelin, trishula, shield, and a noose. These weapons are considered symbolic by Shakta Hindus, representing self-discipline, selfless service to others, self-examination, prayer, devotion, remembering her mantras, cheerfulness and meditation. Durga herself is viewed as the "Self" within and the divine mother of all creation. She has been revered by warriors, blessing their new weapons. Durga iconography has been flexible in the Hindu traditions, where for example some intellectuals place a pen or other writing implements in her hand since they consider their stylus as their weapon.

Response: Chakra, conch, bow, arrow, sword, javelin, trishula, shield, a noose


Prompt: I just turned 81, I have a 12 pack-year smoking history and quit 15 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: 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. Also: a 12 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'm asking for my dad, who is 20. What's the screening test for pancreatic cancer?

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


Prompt: I'm 57 years old with a 35 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 58. 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 58−10=48, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 57 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:
Who are the Smiths?

The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwriting partnership. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from the 1980s British independent music.

Response: The Smiths were an English rock band from the 1980s. The lead singer was Morrissey. The other band members were: Johnny Marr on guitar, Andy Rourke on bass, and Mike Joyce on drums.


Prompt: I just turned 27 and I've noticed blood in the urine (haematuria). Do I need to see someone about this?

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

Blood in the urine (haematuria) 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 is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: My brother is 43 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 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 general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 41 years old and my brother 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 is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 82 years old, I have a 40 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 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. 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 guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: My aunt just turned 80 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 guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: My mom is 23 and my parent was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 53. 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 53 − 10 = 43 — and since 43 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 43, 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: Quick question: I'm 67 and I've had a sore that does not heal for 4 weeks. Is this something to worry about?

Response:
Yes — get this evaluated. A sore that does not heal lasting more than 3 weeks is a recognised red-flag duration, and you're at 4 weeks. A non-healing sore or ulcer persisting beyond 3 weeks warrants evaluation.

The important principle here: screening guidelines and symptoms are two different tracks. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. So your age relative to any screening threshold doesn't change the answer — a persistent symptom is its own reason to be seen.

Most causes of this turn out to be benign. Getting it checked is how that gets established rather than assumed.

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 46 years old and my sister was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 49. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 39.

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 49 − 10 = 39 — and since 39 is earlier than 40, the 10-years-before rule applies, giving 39.

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 71 with a 35 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 58 — Which screenings do I qualify 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 58−10=48, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 71 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 asking for my father, who is 51, I have a 18 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 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 is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm a 66-year-old. Should I be screened for cervical cancer?

Response:
Generally no. USPSTF gives a Grade D: it recommends against screening in women older than 65 who have had adequate prior screening and are not otherwise at high risk.

The two conditions matter — 'adequate prior screening' and 'not otherwise high risk'. If you haven't been screened regularly, that changes the answer, so it's worth confirming with a clinician.

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

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


Prompt: I'm asking for my mom, who is 20 and I have a mole that's changed in itching over the past couple of months. Is this a warning sign?

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


Prompt: I'm a 78-year-old, I have a 18 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: 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'm a 39-year-old 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: Quick question: I'm 70, I have a 21 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 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 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 describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 26-year-old and my parent was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 68. 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 68 − 10 = 58 — and since 58 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 58, 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: I just turned 45 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 45, 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 42 and my sister was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 70 — 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 70 − 10 = 60 — and since 60 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 60, 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: I'm 82 years old, I have a 18 pack-year smoking history and quit 20 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 describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 78-year-old, I have a 12 pack-year smoking history and quit 20 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: a 12 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 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 general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 18-year-old. 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 is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I just turned 44 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (PMS2 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 44, 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 50 years old with a 15 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 48. 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 — 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 50 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: I'm 80 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I old enough for colorectal screening?

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


Prompt: I'm a 67-year-old with a 30 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago). Which screenings do I qualify 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:** Yes — Grade A at 67. (USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 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: Has the USPSTF recommendation for colorectal cancer screening changed recently?

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

Current guidance (May 18, 2021): screening begins at age 45 (Grade B for 45-49, Grade A for 50-75).

What changed: starting age lowered from 50 to 45 (previous version: 2016).

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

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: Quick question: 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 read that mammography screening starts later than what my doctor told me. What's the current guidance?

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 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 — Am I old enough for colorectal screening?

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


Prompt: I'm a 19-year-old and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (PMS2 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 19, surveillance should begin in about 1 years.

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: Quick question: I'm 22 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 22, you would begin MRI surveillance in 3 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 general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 21-year-old and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (MSH2 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.

At 21, 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: Quick question: I'm 80, I have a 21 pack-year smoking history and quit 17 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 17 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 guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: My husband just turned 40 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 40, you are 5 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: Quick question: I'm 78, I have a 30 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 78 falls within 50-80, your 30 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 40 with no family history of breast cancer — Am I due for a mammogram?

Response:
Yes — at 40 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: I'm a 48-year-old and my brother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 61. 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 61 − 10 = 51 — and since 51 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 51, 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: I just turned 78, I have a 25 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 78 falls within 50-80, your 25 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: My aunt is 48, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 16 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 48 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 16 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: Explain how a mechanical watch works

Response:
A simple mechanical watch works by transferring power from the main spring, a tightly coiled metal spring, through an escapement and balance wheel, to wheels representing seconds, minutes, and hours.

The watch uses a gearing from the main spring that pushes an escapement gearing against a ruby palette to oscillate a balance wheel. The balance wheel and escapement are carefully constructed to oscillate at a specific frequency, releasing small bursts of power to the gear train. The train is constructed to gear the specific frequency of the balance wheel into seconds, minutes and hours.

Further complications like chronographs, sun phase, alarms, and others are not accounted for in this simple watch. An automatic watch contains a weighted rotor in order to wind the mainspring with the motion of a person's arm.


Prompt: What is the winter weather like in Salt Lake City, Utah?

Response: Some years, Utah has massive amounts of snow, up to 700 inches at some ski resorts. Other years, Utah has little precipitation. Often temperatures are just below or just above freezing during winter months.


Prompt: I'm 29 and I've noticed coughing up blood (haemoptysis) — Is this urgent or can it wait?

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

Coughing up blood (haemoptysis) 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 is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm a 60-year-old, I have a 19 pack-year smoking history and quit 16 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 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. Also: having quit 16 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: Tell me whether these states are in Eastern Time, Central Time, or neither

Response: California, Oregon, Connecticut, Washington, Texas, Hawaii


Prompt: am I due for a pap smear, not sure what the age cutoff is

Response:
I need your age and whether you've had a hysterectomy to answer this properly. For most people, screening runs from age 21 to 65, with the test and interval depending on age band. If you've had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and no history of high-grade changes or cervical cancer, screening usually isn't needed at all. What's your situation?

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

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


Prompt: What language is HP GL

Response: HP-GL, short for Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language and often written as HPGL, is a printer control language created by Hewlett-Packard (HP). HP-GL was the primary printer control language used by HP plotters. It was introduced with the plotter HP-8972 in 1977 and became a standard for almost all plotters. Hewlett-Packard's printers also usually support HP-GL/2 in addition to PCL.


Prompt: Why should we ban artificial sweeteners like aspartame?

Response: Artificial sweeteners like aspartame are incredibly dangerous to our health. There have been countless studies showing the damaging effects it can wreak on a person's health. One of those is your gut health. As we know more and more about gut health, your gut is now being referred to as your "second brain". One could argue without a healthy gut, you cannot have good health. We know that artificial sweeteners like aspartame are damaging to our gut and our microbiome.


Prompt: I'm 88 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Is it time for me to get screened for colon cancer?

Response:
Routine screening is generally not recommended past age 85. USPSTF guidance covers adults up to 85; beyond that, the decision depends on overall health and life expectancy and should be made with a clinician.

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: Quick question: I'm 51, I have a 21 pack-year smoking history and quit 15 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 51 falls within 50-80, your 21 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 15 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: Quick question: 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 describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt:
What is an isotherm?

An isotherm is a line that connects points on a map that have the same temperature. Therefore, all points through which an isotherm passes have the same or equal temperatures at the time indicated. An isotherm at 0 °C is called the freezing level. The term was coined by the Prussian geographer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, who as part of his research into the geographical distribution of plants published the first map of isotherms in Paris, in 1817.

Response: An isotherm is a line that connects points on a map that have the same temperature.


Prompt: I'm 55 and I've had a sore that does not heal for 1 week — Is this something to worry about?

Response:
At 1 week, 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 guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 57 years old with a 30 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:** Yes — you meet criteria. (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 57 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: What's the current USPSTF recommendation for mammography screening, and did it change?

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: Quick question: I'm 25 and my sister was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 42. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 32.

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 42 − 10 = 32 — and since 32 is earlier than 40, the 10-years-before rule applies, giving 32.

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: I read that lung cancer screening starts later than what my doctor told me. What's the current guidance?

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: hey am I due for a pap smear??

Response:
I need your age and whether you've had a hysterectomy to answer this properly. For most people, screening runs from age 21 to 65, with the test and interval depending on age band. If you've had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and no history of high-grade changes or cervical cancer, screening usually isn't needed at all. What's your situation?

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

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


Prompt: My father just turned 61 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 61 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: My aunt just turned 70, I have a 30 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: having quit 17 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:
Extract all words derived from Swahili language in the following paragraph:

Shingopana is known from a partial jaw, represented by the angular bone. Shingopana is also known from four cervical vertebrae; with two of these vertebrae having preserved cervical ribs and another isolated cervical rib. Shingopana instead had remnants of a bulbous expansion on the incompletely preserved cervical vertebrae, which probably helped to strengthen its neck.

Response: The following are words extracted from Swahili language in the above paragraph: Shingopana (which means wide neck).


Prompt: I'm 35 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 35, 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: I'm 60 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Is it time for me to get screened for colon cancer?

Response:
Yes — at 60 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 describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My uncle is 82, I have a 21 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 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. 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 guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Identify which instrument is string or percussion: Maddale, Banhu

Response: Banhu is string, Maddale is percussion.


Prompt: I'm 75 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms — Do I need to start colon cancer screening yet?

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 just turned 49, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 15 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: 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:
From the passage provided, extract the languages in which Kishore Kumar provided his vocals as a playback singer. Separate them with a comma.

Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly; pronunciation (help·info); 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. He was one of the most popular singers in the Indian subcontinent, notable for his yodeling and ability to sing songs in different voices. He used to sing in different genres but some of his rare compositions, considered classics, were lost in time. According to his brother and legendary actor Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar was successful as a singer because his "voice hits the mike, straight, at its most sensitive point".

Besides Hindi, he sang in many other Indian languages, including Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Odia and Urdu. He also released a few non-film albums in multiple languages, especially in Bengali, which are noted as all-time classics.

He won 8 Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer and holds the record for winning the most Filmfare Awards in that category. He was awarded the Lata Mangeshkar Award by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1985.

Response: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Odia, Urdu


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 30 and my brother 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 is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 82, I have a 19 pack-year smoking history and quit 20 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 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 19 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 general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 19 and I've noticed a new breast lump. I'm below the screening age — should I still get checked?

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


Prompt: My aunt is 42 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 is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


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


Prompt: I'm asking for my mother, who is 51 and my sister was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 64. 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 64 − 10 = 54 — and since 54 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 54, 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: I just turned 30 and my parent was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 43. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 33.

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 43 − 10 = 33 — and since 33 is earlier than 40, the 10-years-before rule applies, giving 33.

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: Why do people like to travel?

Response:
There are many reasons that people like to travel and the motivation to travel is always unique to each person. The most common reasons are to explore globally famous landmarks, new cultures, different authentic food and to meet new people, which will expand the perspective of different cultures and their value systems.

Also, to unwind and relax from their day to busy schedules. Apart from that with the wide use of social media platforms people have more information and knowledge to get influence. People also travel for research and educational purposes to places such as museums, and historical landmarks.

Overall, traveling can be an enriching, relaxing, and fulfilling experience that will gather beautiful lifelong memories, experiences, and lessons.


Prompt: Identify which instrument is string or percussion: Cantaro, Gudok

Response: Gudok is string, Cantaro is percussion.


Prompt: I'm 53 years old with a persistent headache. Is this definitely nothing? I'd rather not go to the doctor.

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


Prompt: I just turned 33 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 33, 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:
What is a brown eared pheasant?

The brown eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) is a large, 96– to 100-cm-long, dark brown pheasant endemic to the mountain forests of northeastern China (Shanxi and nearby provinces). The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1863. It has stiff white ear coverts behind the eyes, which look like a moustache. The crown is black with red bare facial skin and its tail of 22 elongated, white feathers is curved, loose and dark-tipped. Both sexes are similar in plumage.

Response: The brown eared pheasant is a large dark brown pheasant native to the mountain forests of northeastern China. It has distinctive white ear covert behind the eyes that look like a moustache. It's crown is black with red bare facial skin, and it has a tail with long, white, curve, loose, dark-tipped feathers.


Prompt: am I due for a pap smear, not sure what the age cutoff is

Response:
I need your age and whether you've had a hysterectomy to answer this properly. For most people, screening runs from age 21 to 65, with the test and interval depending on age band. If you've had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and no history of high-grade changes or cervical cancer, screening usually isn't needed at all. What's your situation?

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 just turned 62 with a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 48. 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 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: I just turned 37 with blood in the stool. 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: 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 describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Why do some people prefer to drink hot water than cold water?

Response:
People live in the north tend to live drinking hot beverages, such as tea or hot coco due to the cold weather in the winter. However, for people who have low tolerance in caffeine, it is better for them to not drink the previously listed beverages. A warm cup of water could help heat up the body, while reduce the intake of caffeine.

Also, in development areas, cold water source may not be sanitary for people to intake directly. After boiling the water, it kills 99% of germs, and will make it safer for people to drink as well.


Prompt: I'm 50 years old, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 15 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 50 falls within 50-80, your 20 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 15 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'm asking for my aunt, who is 23 and I've noticed a new breast lump. I'm below the screening age — should I still get checked?

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: I'm 48 years old, I have a 25 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 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 48 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 41 and I've noticed blood in the urine (haematuria) — Do I need to see someone about this?

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

Blood in the urine (haematuria) 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 is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I just turned 55, I have a 30 pack-year smoking history and quit 17 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: having quit 17 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'm a 60-year-old. Should I be screened for cervical cancer?

Response:
Yes — at 60 you're in the Grade A screening range. Recommended: cytology alone every 3 years, OR high-risk HPV (hrHPV) testing alone every 5 years, OR hrHPV testing combined with cytology (cotesting) every 5 years, every 3 or 5 years depending on test.

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

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


Prompt: I just turned 64 with a 30 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 58. What cancer screenings should I be getting?

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 58−10=48, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 64 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: I'm a 47-year-old and my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 54. 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 54 − 10 = 44 — and since 44 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 44, 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: Quick question: I'm 22 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 22, 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: How is data engineering different from data science?

Response:
Data Engineering occurs before data science in the data lifecycle. Data can be generated from various sources and this raw data may be structured, semi structured or even unstructured. To make sense of this data, data has to be ingested and transformed. This is when data engineering comes into picture. Data engineering includes the process of extracting the raw data, ingesting data into a system like a data lake, transforming the data for business needs and finally loading it into a table. This is commonly known as ELT (Extract-Load-Transform). ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) is also possible where transformation happens before the loading stage.
Data Science and Analytics is the next step in the data lifecycle. Once the data needed for specific business need is available, data scientists use this data to run machine learning models to find the most accurate model. This data is available to the data scientists in the form of tables. Data analysts also use this data to do some exploratory analysis and create dashboards.
In essence, the data lifecycle would look as follows:
Raw data from different sources -> Data Engineering -> Data Science and Analytics


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 26 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (MLH1 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 26, 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: I'm 46 years old and I've had a sore that does not heal for 6 weeks. Should I get this checked?

Response:
Yes — get this evaluated. A sore that does not heal lasting more than 3 weeks is a recognised red-flag duration, and you're at 6 weeks. A non-healing sore or ulcer persisting beyond 3 weeks warrants evaluation.

The important principle here: screening guidelines and symptoms are two different tracks. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. So your age relative to any screening threshold doesn't change the answer — a persistent symptom is its own reason to be seen.

Most causes of this turn out to be benign. Getting it checked is how that gets established rather than assumed.

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: I'm 72 — How do I check for ovarian cancer early?

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


Prompt: I'm 45 — Is it time to check my prostate?

Response:
Routine PSA screening isn't recommended at 45 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 makes the world go around?

Response: Some say money makes the world go around, others say it is love. It has even been suggested that music is the fuel that makes the world go around. These explanations are however based on human spirituality and needs. As far as other living creatures are concerned, the drive to survive is what makes the world go around. In reality the world physically started going around itself, rotating around its axis, because of the way it was formed.


Prompt: I'm 25 years old. Should I be screened for cervical cancer?

Response:
Yes — at 25 you're in the Grade A screening range. Recommended: cervical cytology (Pap test) alone, every 3 years.

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

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


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 55, I have a 12 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 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: a 12 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 26 and I've noticed coughing up blood (haemoptysis). Is this urgent or can it wait?

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

Coughing up blood (haemoptysis) 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: I'm a 63-year-old. Is there a test I should get 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 just turned 48 with a 22 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago). 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 — age 48 is outside the eligible range of 50-80. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Yes — Grade B at 48. (USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 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: Tell me whether these are part of the judicial, executive, or legislative branch of government: Supreme Court, President, House, Senate

Response:
Supreme Court: Judicial
President: Executive
House: Legislative
Senate: Legislative


Prompt: Is it a gas, liquid, or solid

Response: Stone, Cloud, oxygen, water, hydrogen, dirt, nitrogen, brick, concrete, lava


Prompt: I'm 27 and my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 39 — When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 29.

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 39 − 10 = 29 — and since 29 is earlier than 40, the 10-years-before rule applies, giving 29.

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: I'm 38 years old and I've had persistent hoarseness for 3 weeks. Is this something to worry about?

Response:
At 3 weeks, 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.