Articles related to CANCER SCREENING

In March 2021, the US Preventive Services Task Force expanded the eligibility for lung cancer screening by setting the benchmark at a 20 pack-year smoking history for those ages 50 to 80 years who are current smokers or former smokers who have quit within the past 15 years. The new criteria will boost the number of eligible adults by 87% overall, according to a modeling analysis. It also could reduce lung cancer deaths by 13% versus 10% previously.

Of the nearly 83,000 mammograms taken among nearly 36,000 women screened, 1 in 7 cases was determined to be overdiagnosed. The information revealed in this Annals of Internal Medicine study clarifies the risk for breast cancer overdiagnosis in contemporary screening practice and should facilitate shared and informed decision making about mammography screening.

A good primer for the oncologist on several cancer screening tests that can be administered at home and help detect cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages — often before people experience symptoms. Some tests, such as a screening colonoscopy, can even treat cancer by removing abnormal cells before they become problematic.

In addition to reducing pack-years history of smoking, the recommendation calls for annual screening for lung cancer at age 50 years instead of age 55 years, an update of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidance on lung cancer screening issued 7 years ago.