Principles of successful cancer screening

Screening for cancer is the application of various tests to apparently healthy individuals in order to identify who among them has occult disease, which may be either invasive disease or a precursor lesion. For any given cancer site, the potential of screening to reduce morbidity and mortality is based on well-defined criteria for the evaluation of screening effectiveness and on acceptable performance to be realized in the average community setting. Screening programs are most successful when they are organized into a system that leads to high rates of participation, high quality, and constant surveillance and evaluation. If the elements that contribute to a successful screening program are not well organized and integrated, then the fullest potential of screening will not be realized.