The best full check-up in Milan, and how to choose

Why age and sex decide the check-up

A good check-up starts from two facts about you, your age and your sex, and then adds tests for your own history. Humanitas runs four check-ups, for women and for men under 45 and over 45. Each takes a few hours, with an internist who guides you through the day and goes over the results with you at the end [1].

Centro Diagnostico Italiano divides its women's programme at 40. From that age it adds a mammogram with tomosynthesis, a thyroid ultrasound, a cardiology visit and a skin check, and a gynaecologist interprets the results [2]. Its men's programme also divides at 40, adding a PSA test, urine tests and a urine flow test [3].

That men's programme lists no testosterone test. If you are a man searching for a hormonal check-up, ask for the hormone tests by name and ask which doctor will interpret them. For women around the menopause, Punto RAF runs a separate menopause check-up in one morning, with a gynaecology visit, a mammogram, a bone density scan and blood tests that include vitamin D [4].

What the main providers offer

Punto RAF is the check-up service linked to Ospedale San Raffaele. It publishes one price band for all its packages, from €450 to €1,425, and a check-up takes 3 to 6 hours depending on the package [5]. Its most complete package, the Check Up Personalizzato, is done in a single day, and the further tests its specialists ask for are included in the price when they are done within 45 days [6].

The European Institute of Oncology, known as IEO, runs its women's check-up in a single day. It adds a mammogram from 40 and a low dose lung CT from 50, and the day ends with a final examination by one of its doctors [7]. The full documentation is ready at the institute within 48 hours [8]. It suits someone who wants cancer screening planned by a cancer centre.

Auxologico offers three formats in Milan. Its Smart check-up costs €150 and pairs blood tests with a urology visit for men, or a gynaecology visit and a Pap test for women. The Classico takes about 4 hours and is set by sex and age band, and the Personalizzato takes about 6 hours in one day, led by an internist [9].

Humanitas, IEO and Centro Diagnostico Italiano do not print a price for these programmes on their own pages. Ask for a written quote and the full list of tests before you book.

What your region already offers

Italy runs three cancer screening programmes, and your local health authority invites you and covers the test and any further tests it leads to [10]. Women aged 50 to 69 are invited for a mammogram every two years. Women aged 25 to 64 are offered a Pap test every three years before 30 and an HPV test every five years from 30. Women and men from 50 are offered a test for hidden blood in the stool every two years [10].

A private check-up works best beside these programmes. Tell the clinic the date of your last mammogram, smear test or stool test, and ask whether its package repeats one you have already had.

What the evidence says about check-ups

A check-up given to everyone in the same form has a weak record. A Cochrane review pooled 17 trials, 15 of which reported outcomes for 251,891 people, and found that general health checks made little or no difference to deaths from any cause, from cancer or from heart disease [11].

The value of a check-up lies in tests chosen for your age, sex and history, and in a doctor who acts on the results. A short list of the right tests, explained to you in person, does more for you than a long list sent by post.

Six questions to ask before you book

These apply to any provider in Milan, including us.

• Is the check-up set by my age and sex, and what does it add for my own history?
• Who goes through the results with me, and will it be in person?
• Can that conversation be in English if I need it?
• Are follow-up tests included in the price, and for how long?
• Which of my regional screening tests does the package repeat?
• Who do I call if a result needs action in three months?

Appointments in Milan

Anyone can request an appointment in Milan now.