{"entity":{"id":"screening","kind":"term","name":"Screening","aka":["cancer screening","screening programme","screening programmes","screening program","screening programs","screened","screening test","screening tests","population screening","overdiagnosis","overdiagnosed","over-diagnosis","overtreatment","false positive","false positives","false-positive","false negative","false negatives","false-negative","sensitivity","specificity","lead-time bias","length-time bias"],"tldr":"Testing people who have no symptoms to catch cancer, or its precursors, early enough to cure. Proven for breast, cervical, colorectal and (in smokers) lung cancer; every test also finds some cancers that would never have caused harm.","summary":"A good screening test must find cancers at a stage where treatment changes the outcome, be acceptable and affordable for millions of healthy people, and cause more benefit than harm from false positives, unnecessary biopsies and overdiagnosis; it is judged ultimately by whether it lowers deaths in randomised trials. Mammography, cervical smears and HPV testing, colonoscopy and stool tests, and low-dose CT for heavy smokers meet this bar; PSA testing for prostate cancer is a marginal case where shared decision-making is advised. Multi-cancer early detection blood tests such as Galleri aim to screen for dozens of cancers at once and are being tested in large trials, with the risks of overdiagnosis and false reassurance under close scrutiny.","asOf":"2026-09-09","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_screening","links":[{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_screening"}],"tags":[],"related":["early-detection-term","stage-shift","ppv","in-situ","mortality","risk-factor","lesion"],"cancers":[],"sections":["early-detection"],"technologies":["mammography","mced","radiology-ai-screening"],"targets":[],"drugs":["galleri","shield"],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"category":"Clinic basics"},"route":"/terms/screening/","neighbours":{"term":[{"id":"early-detection-term","kind":"term","name":"Early detection","route":"/terms/early-detection-term/"},{"id":"tobacco-control-act","kind":"term","name":"Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act 2009","route":"/terms/tobacco-control-act/"},{"id":"gallbladder-polyp","kind":"term","name":"Gallbladder polyp (polypoid lesion)","route":"/terms/gallbladder-polyp/"},{"id":"in-situ","kind":"term","name":"In situ","route":"/terms/in-situ/"},{"id":"incidence-vs-prevalence","kind":"term","name":"Incidence versus prevalence","route":"/terms/incidence-vs-prevalence/"},{"id":"lead-time-bias","kind":"term","name":"Lead time, and lead-time bias","route":"/terms/lead-time-bias/"},{"id":"lesion","kind":"term","name":"Lesion","route":"/terms/lesion/"},{"id":"mortality","kind":"term","name":"Mortality","route":"/terms/mortality/"},{"id":"number-needed-to-screen","kind":"term","name":"Number needed to screen (and number needed to diagnose)","route":"/terms/number-needed-to-screen/"},{"id":"other-cause-mortality","kind":"term","name":"Other-cause mortality","route":"/terms/other-cause-mortality/"},{"id":"overdiagnosis","kind":"term","name":"Overdiagnosis","route":"/terms/overdiagnosis/"},{"id":"overtreatment","kind":"term","name":"Overtreatment","route":"/terms/overtreatment/"},{"id":"pi-rads","kind":"term","name":"PI-RADS (Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System)","route":"/terms/pi-rads/"},{"id":"polygenic-risk-score","kind":"term","name":"Polygenic risk score (PRS)","route":"/terms/polygenic-risk-score/"},{"id":"ppv","kind":"term","name":"Positive predictive value (PPV)","route":"/terms/ppv/"},{"id":"prophylactic-cholecystectomy","kind":"term","name":"Prophylactic (preventive) cholecystectomy","route":"/terms/prophylactic-cholecystectomy/"},{"id":"risk-factor","kind":"term","name":"Risk factor","route":"/terms/risk-factor/"},{"id":"sensitivity-specificity","kind":"term","name":"Sensitivity and specificity","route":"/terms/sensitivity-specificity/"},{"id":"cancer-stage","kind":"term","name":"Stage","route":"/terms/cancer-stage/"},{"id":"stage-shift","kind":"term","name":"Stage shift","route":"/terms/stage-shift/"},{"id":"tobacco-21","kind":"term","name":"Tobacco 21","route":"/terms/tobacco-21/"},{"id":"tumour-marker","kind":"term","name":"Tumour marker","route":"/terms/tumour-marker/"}],"section":[{"id":"early-detection","kind":"section","name":"Early Detection & Screening","route":"/fronts/early-detection/"}],"technology":[{"id":"radiology-ai-screening","kind":"technology","name":"AI in radiology","route":"/technologies/radiology-ai-screening/"},{"id":"gastric-endoscopic-screening","kind":"technology","name":"Gastric cancer endoscopic screening (East Asia)","route":"/technologies/gastric-endoscopic-screening/"},{"id":"mammography","kind":"technology","name":"Mammography & tomosynthesis","route":"/technologies/mammography/"},{"id":"mced","kind":"technology","name":"Multi-cancer early detection (MCED)","route":"/technologies/mced/"},{"id":"multitarget-stool-rna-test","kind":"technology","name":"Multitarget stool RNA test (ColoSense)","route":"/technologies/multitarget-stool-rna-test/"},{"id":"nhs-targeted-lung-health-check","kind":"technology","name":"NHS Targeted Lung Health Check (lung cancer screening programme)","route":"/technologies/nhs-targeted-lung-health-check/"},{"id":"oral-visual-screening","kind":"technology","name":"Oral cancer visual screening","route":"/technologies/oral-visual-screening/"},{"id":"polygenic-risk-scores","kind":"technology","name":"Polygenic risk scores for cancer","route":"/technologies/polygenic-risk-scores/"},{"id":"prostate-screening-psa-mri","kind":"technology","name":"PSA and MRI-first prostate cancer screening","route":"/technologies/prostate-screening-psa-mri/"},{"id":"skin-cancer-screening","kind":"technology","name":"Skin cancer screening (visual skin examination)","route":"/technologies/skin-cancer-screening/"},{"id":"via-cervical-screening","kind":"technology","name":"Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical screening","route":"/technologies/via-cervical-screening/"}],"drug":[{"id":"cancerguard","kind":"drug","name":"Cancerguard","route":"/drugs/cancerguard/"},{"id":"cologuard","kind":"drug","name":"Cologuard","route":"/drugs/cologuard/"},{"id":"cologuard-plus","kind":"drug","name":"Cologuard Plus","route":"/drugs/cologuard-plus/"},{"id":"galleri","kind":"drug","name":"Galleri","route":"/drugs/galleri/"},{"id":"shield","kind":"drug","name":"Shield","route":"/drugs/shield/"},{"id":"simplescreen-crc","kind":"drug","name":"SimpleScreen CRC","route":"/drugs/simplescreen-crc/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"early-gastric-cancer","kind":"cancer","name":"Early gastric cancer","route":"/cancers/early-gastric-cancer/"},{"id":"lung-cancer","kind":"cancer","name":"Lung cancer (all types)","route":"/cancers/lung-cancer/"},{"id":"prostate","kind":"cancer","name":"Prostate cancer","route":"/cancers/prostate/"}],"paper":[{"id":"paper-dess-black-race-prostate-mortality-jama-oncol-2019","kind":"paper","name":"Association of Black race with prostate cancer-specific and other-cause mortality","route":"/key-papers/paper-dess-black-race-prostate-mortality-jama-oncol-2019/"},{"id":"paper-dutta-gallbladder-cancer-epidemiology-india-chin-clin-oncol-2019","kind":"paper","name":"Epidemiology of gallbladder cancer in India","route":"/key-papers/paper-dutta-gallbladder-cancer-epidemiology-india-chin-clin-oncol-2019/"},{"id":"paper-schroder-erspc-screening-mortality-nejm-2009","kind":"paper","name":"ERSPC: screening and prostate cancer mortality in a randomised European study","route":"/key-papers/paper-schroder-erspc-screening-mortality-nejm-2009/"},{"id":"paper-samaniego-chile-ges-programme-evaluation-rev-med-chile-2024","kind":"paper","name":"Gallbladder Cancer: Is It Time to Modify the Explicit Health Guarantees (GES) Program?","route":"/key-papers/paper-samaniego-chile-ges-programme-evaluation-rev-med-chile-2024/"},{"id":"paper-draisma-lead-time-overdiagnosis-psa-jnci-2009","kind":"paper","name":"Lead time and overdiagnosis in prostate-specific antigen screening: importance of methods and context","route":"/key-papers/paper-draisma-lead-time-overdiagnosis-psa-jnci-2009/"},{"id":"paper-gallbladder-polyp-joint-guideline-eur-radiol-2022","kind":"paper","name":"Management and follow-up of gallbladder polyps: updated joint guidelines between the ESGAR, EAES, EFISDS and ESGE","route":"/key-papers/paper-gallbladder-polyp-joint-guideline-eur-radiol-2022/"},{"id":"paper-catalona-psa-screening-test-nejm-1991","kind":"paper","name":"Measurement of prostate-specific antigen in serum as a screening test for prostate cancer","route":"/key-papers/paper-catalona-psa-screening-test-nejm-1991/"},{"id":"paper-szpakowski-gallbladder-polyps-20-year-cohort-jama-netw-open-2020","kind":"paper","name":"Outcomes of Gallbladder Polyps and Their Association With Gallbladder Cancer in a 20-Year Cohort","route":"/key-papers/paper-szpakowski-gallbladder-polyps-20-year-cohort-jama-netw-open-2020/"},{"id":"paper-loeb-overdiagnosis-overtreatment-prostate-eur-urol-2014","kind":"paper","name":"Overdiagnosis and overtreatment of prostate cancer","route":"/key-papers/paper-loeb-overdiagnosis-overtreatment-prostate-eur-urol-2014/"},{"id":"paper-nhs-galleri-performance-nat-med-2026","kind":"paper","name":"Performance of a multi-cancer early detection test in the randomized controlled NHS-Galleri trial","route":"/key-papers/paper-nhs-galleri-performance-nat-med-2026/"},{"id":"paper-andriole-plco-prostate-screening-nejm-2009","kind":"paper","name":"PLCO: mortality results from a randomised prostate cancer screening trial","route":"/key-papers/paper-andriole-plco-prostate-screening-nejm-2009/"},{"id":"paper-ahmed-promis-multiparametric-mri-lancet-2017","kind":"paper","name":"PROMIS: diagnostic accuracy of multiparametric MRI and TRUS biopsy in prostate cancer","route":"/key-papers/paper-ahmed-promis-multiparametric-mri-lancet-2017/"},{"id":"paper-welch-albertsen-psa-era-diagnosis-treatment-jnci-2009","kind":"paper","name":"Prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment after the introduction of prostate-specific antigen screening, 1986 to 2005","route":"/key-papers/paper-welch-albertsen-psa-era-diagnosis-treatment-jnci-2009/"},{"id":"paper-nagaraja-eslick-typhi-carrier-gallbladder-cancer-meta-analysis-apt-2014","kind":"paper","name":"Systematic review with meta-analysis: the relationship between chronic Salmonella typhi carrier status and gall-bladder cancer","route":"/key-papers/paper-nagaraja-eslick-typhi-carrier-gallbladder-cancer-meta-analysis-apt-2014/"},{"id":"paper-elmasry-gallbladder-polyp-malignancy-systematic-review-int-j-surg-2016","kind":"paper","name":"The risk of malignancy in ultrasound detected gallbladder polyps: A systematic review","route":"/key-papers/paper-elmasry-gallbladder-polyp-malignancy-systematic-review-int-j-surg-2016/"},{"id":"paper-conti-trans-ancestry-gwas-prostate-nat-genet-2021","kind":"paper","name":"Trans-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of prostate cancer identifies new susceptibility loci and informs genetic risk prediction","route":"/key-papers/paper-conti-trans-ancestry-gwas-prostate-nat-genet-2021/"},{"id":"paper-moyer-uspstf-prostate-screening-ann-intern-med-2012","kind":"paper","name":"USPSTF 2012: screening for prostate cancer, recommendation statement (grade D)","route":"/key-papers/paper-moyer-uspstf-prostate-screening-ann-intern-med-2012/"},{"id":"paper-uspstf-prostate-screening-jama-2018","kind":"paper","name":"USPSTF 2018: screening for prostate cancer, recommendation statement (grade C at 55 to 69, grade D at 70 and over)","route":"/key-papers/paper-uspstf-prostate-screening-jama-2018/"}],"idea":[{"id":"idea-gbc-typhoid-carrier-cholecystectomy-or-surveillance","kind":"idea","name":"Cholecystectomy or ultrasound surveillance for chronic typhoid carriers in endemic regions","route":"/ideas/idea-gbc-typhoid-carrier-cholecystectomy-or-surveillance/"},{"id":"idea-prostate-metastatic-presentation-as-the-screening-endpoint","kind":"idea","name":"Judge a prostate screening programme on metastatic presentation, not on incidence or mortality","route":"/ideas/idea-prostate-metastatic-presentation-as-the-screening-endpoint/"},{"id":"idea-gbc-prophylactic-cholecystectomy-targeted-and-evaluated","kind":"idea","name":"Redesign Chile's prophylactic cholecystectomy programme around risk, and evaluate it properly","route":"/ideas/idea-gbc-prophylactic-cholecystectomy-targeted-and-evaluated/"},{"id":"idea-gbc-risk-targeted-ultrasound-in-high-incidence-regions","kind":"idea","name":"Risk-targeted ultrasound screening in high-incidence regions, tested against usual care","route":"/ideas/idea-gbc-risk-targeted-ultrasound-in-high-incidence-regions/"}],"trial":[{"id":"masai","kind":"trial","name":"MASAI (Mammography Screening with Artificial Intelligence)","route":"/trials/masai/"},{"id":"nhs-galleri","kind":"trial","name":"NHS-Galleri","route":"/trials/nhs-galleri/"},{"id":"nordicc","kind":"trial","name":"NordICC (Nordic-European Initiative on Colorectal Cancer)","route":"/trials/nordicc/"},{"id":"preempt-crc","kind":"trial","name":"PREEMPT CRC","route":"/trials/preempt-crc/"},{"id":"screentrustcad","kind":"trial","name":"ScreenTrustCAD","route":"/trials/screentrustcad/"},{"id":"tmist","kind":"trial","name":"TMIST (Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial)","route":"/trials/tmist/"},{"id":"wisdom-trial","kind":"trial","name":"WISDOM (Women Informed to Screen Depending on Measures of Risk)","route":"/trials/wisdom-trial/"}],"person":[{"id":"michael-kerin","kind":"person","name":"Michael Kerin","route":"/people/michael-kerin/"},{"id":"nicolas-scotte","kind":"person","name":"Nicolas Scotté","route":"/people/nicolas-scotte/"}],"journal":[{"id":"jama-internal-medicine","kind":"journal","name":"JAMA Internal Medicine","route":"/journals/jama-internal-medicine/"},{"id":"radiology","kind":"journal","name":"Radiology","route":"/journals/radiology/"}],"institution":[{"id":"chongqing-university-cancer-hospital","kind":"institution","name":"Chongqing University Cancer Hospital","route":"/institutions/chongqing-university-cancer-hospital/"}]}}