Detection at All Costs: Is Cancer Screening Always Better?

Abstract

Cancer treatment and prevention is a continuously evolving field. Canadian guidelines suggest that women of average breast cancer risk receive mammography screening regularly. Screening seems an intuitive approach to diagnosing cancer in its early and curable stages. However, repeat cancer screening is not without drawbacks; as the intensity and frequency of cancer screening increases, so do the consequences of overdiagnosis, including avoidable testing and treatment, pain, stress, unwillingness to participate in future testing, and healthcare spending. Therefore, achieving optimal screening outcomes requires an accurate understanding of the costs and benefits associated with this procedure. By empowering patients to make informed decisions regarding cancer screening, one potential strategy to improve patient care is to improve communication and decision-making between physicians and patients. Other strategies to achieve better screening include targeted screening programs for high-risk patients that rely on different screening modalities.