title: Principles of Cancer Screening.
abstract: Cancer screening has long been an important component of the struggle to reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality from cancer. Notwithstanding this history, many aspects of cancer screening remain poorly understood. This article presents a summary of basic principles of cancer screening that are relevant for researchers, clinicians, and public health officials alike.
authors: Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 5E108, Bethesda, MD 20910, USA. Electronic address: pp4f@nih.gov.
authors: Paul F
authors: PF
authors: Pinsky
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014481:United States
keywords: Cancer screening; Lead time; Number needed to screen; Overdiagnosis; Performance characteristics; Targeted screening