Cancer screening and age in the United States and Europe.
We compare cancer screening rates between the United States and Europe. Many European countries have organized screening programs, whereas the U.S. approach is relatively decentralized. Many European countries, unlike the United States, also impose upper age limits on screening. Overall, European screening rates were 22-88 percent of the corresponding U.S. rates. U.S. residents are more likely to be screened at younger ages, when the expected benefit from early detection is the greatest, but also at older ages, when the expected benefit is declining.
Howard
David H
DH
Department of Health Policy and Management, Rollins School of Public Health, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. david.howard@emory.edu
Richardson
Lisa C
LC
Thorpe
Kenneth E
KE
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult