While the benefits of cancer screening are sometimes overstated, the practice does reduce the number of people who die from specific cancers. It also decreases the psychological and medical impact of overdiagnosis and treatment. Some researchers question the value of cancer screening, claiming that screening tests can result in false positives. They may also find harmless cancers. But, are these benefits worth the risks? There are some key questions to consider before agreeing on cancer screening.
Finding cancer early saves lives
While early detection is the best way to save lives, not all cancers are easily identifiable. Early diagnosis is crucial for a number of reasons, including reducing the financial impact of cancer and ensuring a person can continue to work and support their family. It is estimated that the cost of cancer in the United States reached US$ 1.16 trillion in 2010.
A recent survey showed that most adults consider routine cancer screening to be beneficial, and seventy-four percent of Americans believe it saves lives. But only one-third of those adults would stop routine screening. And a large proportion believes that it is irresponsible not to test the elderly. But despite widespread support for routine screening, many people are afraid of a false positive result and consider such tests to be dangerous.
Getting back to cancer screening
The American Cancer Society has launched a nationwide initiative called “Getting back to cancer screening.” The effort will convene a national coalition of groups to improve the rate of early detection of breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. More people will undergo screenings as a result of the new initiative. The results of the Return to Screening study will be published later this year. It’s crucial that everyone get their yearly cancer screenings.
In a joint effort, the American Cancer Society and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) identified specific gaps in cancer screening and targeted them with targeted outreach. “These gaps were identified through a community health assessment of community cancer screening, and we are trying to fill those gaps in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible,” said Heidi Nelson, MD, director of the American College of Surgeons’ Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences.
Barriers to cancer screening
Low rates of preventive cancer screening among LEP populations are attributed to patient, provider, interpreter, and system factors, including limited English proficiency. Interventions targeting these factors should include primary care physicians. This paper describes some of the key factors associated with low rates of preventive cancer screening among LEP populations. Read on to learn more. Here are some examples of interventions aimed at improving the screening process. Listed below are some examples of interventions that may be helpful in addressing these barriers to prevent the disparity.
In addition, women with disabilities are less likely to access preventive health screening services, including breast cancer and cervical cancer screening. However, women with disabilities are living longer than their counterparts, and the incidence of cancer is related to age. Thus, the goal of this integrative literature review was to identify barriers to cancer screening among women and men of all ages and disability levels. Multiple databases were searched between 2001 and 2013 to identify relevant literature.
