Tumor screening aims to detect cancer
before symptoms appear. This may involve blood tests, urine tests, other tests,
or medical imaging. The benefits of screening in terms of cancer prevention,
early detection and subsequent treatment must be weighed against any harms.
Universal screening, mass screening or
population screening involves screening everyone, usually within a specific age
group. Selective screening identifies people who are known to be at higher risk
of developing cancer, such as people with a family history of cancer.
Screening can lead to false positive
results and subsequent invasive procedures. Screening can also lead to false
negative results, where an existing cancer is missed. Controversy arises when
it is not clear if the benefits of screening outweigh the risks of the
screening procedure itself, and any follow-up diagnostic tests and treatments.