Consumer Reports Advises to Avoid 8 Unnecessary Cancer Screenings
Consumer Reports recently released an article evaluating 11 different preventative cancer screenings and found that some people may not benefit from 8 of the tests. For these tests, the benefit of early detection may not outweigh the potential harm of the screening procedure itself. The Consumer Reports recommendations for patients to avoid certain preventative cancer screenings are for those who are not at high risk of developing cancer and who do not have signs and symptoms of cancer.
According
to their report, the most effective and highest rated cancer screenings
include:
·
Cervical cancer
screening (Pap smear)
o
Benefits
are very likely to outweigh the harms for women ages 21 to 65 years.
o
Women
ages 21 to 30 years benefit from receiving preventative screening every 3 years.
o
Women
ages 30 to 65 years benefit from receiving preventative screening every 5 years
if they have been tested for human papilloma virus (HPV).
o
Women
at high risk may need to be screened more frequently.
o
Women
65 years of age and older do not need screenings as long as they had regular
screenings when they were younger.
·
Breast cancer
screening (mammogram)
o
Benefits
are likely to outweigh the risks for women ages 50 to 74 years. Screenings
should be done every 2 years.
o
Women
in their forties or older than 75 years should discuss breast cancer screening
with their healthcare provider and may need screening based on their risk
factors.
o
Breast
cancer is uncommon in women younger than 40 years of age and screening should
be discussed with their health care provider if they are at high risk of
developing breast cancer.
·
Colon cancer
screening
o
Screening
includes a colonoscopy every 5 years and stool test every 1 to 3 years.
o
Benefits
are very likely to outweigh harm for men and women ages 50 to 75 years.
o
Colon
cancer is rare among people less than 50 years of age and screenings should
only be considered and if these individuals are at high risk.
o
Patients
older than 75 years of age should discuss the potential benefits or harms of
preventative screening with their healthcare providers and screening should be
based on their health status and risk factors.
According
to Consumer Reports, the majority of patients should avoid the following
screenings: bladder cancer, lung cancer, oral cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate
cancer, pancreatic cancer, skin cancer, and testicular cancer. Lung cancer screenings should be performed in
older patients with a long history of smoking. Routine visual exams of the mouth should be
done as a part of a patient’s normal routine oral care. Ovarian cancer screenings are not very
effective and only high risk women should be screened. Prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer
screenings should be performed in patients at high risk. Skin cancer screenings should be part of a
routine check-up done by the patient’s physician. The majority of testicular cancers reported
without screening are curable and only high risk men should receive screenings.
Screening
for cancer is controversial and numerous screening guidelines exist from
healthcare organizations. Patients
should educate themselves about the available screening tests and discuss their
cancer risk factors and potential need for screening with their healthcare
providers.
For
more information, please see the following summary of the Consumer Reports
article: