Cancer screening

What is screening?

Screening is a method of searching for a disease in a specific population group where individuals do not present with any symptoms of the disease in question. The advantage of cancer screening is that it allows for managing detected cancers as early as possible, making it possible to treat them more effectively and vastly improve the chances of survival.

Without treatment, most cancers are likely to evolve as they grow bigger over time. They will sometimes become more aggressive and can even spread throughout the body.

Early cancer detection often allows for choosing less invasive treatments that are more effective.

There is currently no one test that allows healthcare professionals to check for cancer in all parts of the human body. For certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer, there are tests with a proven track record that make it possible to detect cancer at a very early stage. The Quebec government has chosen to offer these specific screening tests on a general basis to targeted groups, based on certain risk factors (age, gender, lifestyle habits, etc.).

This being said, no screening test is 100% infallible. This is why listening to one’s body and reporting any new symptoms to a healthcare professional is of utmost importance.

Researchers from all over the planet are continuing to explore the ins and outs of cancer, particularly ways of detecting and treating the disease. Countless studies presently underway are striving to illustrate the effectiveness of new screening methods, but the process is a lengthy one. It will likely be several more years before a new, more efficient screening test is publicly available.

It’s also important to remember that while all screening tests are beneficial, they also have disadvantages, one of them being overdiagnoses. 

Check out this article for more information on the benefits and limitations of regular cancer screening.

What is overdiagnosis?

An overdiagnosis occurs when a disease that would never have proven problematic is diagnosed.

Being overdiagnosed can be extremely difficult, with the person on the receiving end possibly becoming highly stressed when no treatment is offered. In other situations, an individual could be subjected to unnecessary treatments accompanied by highly negative side effects.

Speak with your healthcare professional if you have any concerns regarding the possibility of an overdiagnosis.

To learn more about overdiagnoses and limiting the number of useless exams and treatments, browse through the content in Choosing Wisely. 

Other cancers

Cancer research is making great strides, and scientists are hard at work developing new methods of detecting cancers as early as possible. However, several years can elapse before new discoveries are tested, receive approval, and made available to the general public.

At present, there is no one method for detecting cancer.

Stay attuned to changes in your body and reach out to a healthcare professional if in doubt. Knowing what is “normal” for your body will make it easier to detect any changes. While some changes may not point to an anomaly, others can be an indication that something is seriously wrong. Healthcare professionals are the only ones who can make a cancer diagnosis with absolute certainty.

If you do not have access to a family doctor or a specialized nurse practitioner, turn to the Primary Care Access Point.  

You can also contact one of the nurses at our Info-cancer Hotline; they will be happy to provide you with further information as well as answer any questions or address any concerns you may have. They can be reached at 1-800-363-0063, Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

You can also borrow the following book from our Info-cancer Library, free of charge:

Béliveau, R. & Gingras, D. (2014). Prévenir le cancer – Comment prévenir les risques. Éditions du Trécarré.

Sources

Content updated in October 2024