BY FELIPE NOGUEIRA
IT HAS BEEN 20 YEARS SINCE DR. ANGELA RAFFLE published an article in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet with the provocative title “How long will screening myths survive?”1 Although screening myths have been discussed extensively in peer reviewed articles since Raffle’s publication, I think the public still needs balanced information. This article reviews important concepts and myths of screening.
Screening is the systematic search for a specific disease, through medical tests, in people without symptoms of that disease. Common population cancer screening programs include screenings for breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancers.