Screening involves checking for cancer or cancerous conditions in persons without symptoms. This is important because screening for some cancers is effective in detecting precancerous cells or finding cancer at an early stage when treatment is more effective. Screening procedures vary for different cancers. Some common screening procedures include visual exams, laboratory tests, or procedures such as mammography or colonoscopy that test for internal cancers.

Screening tests for cancers of the colon-rectum, female breast, and cervix may detect tumors early enough to effect a long-term disease-free state. Screening tests for cancers of the prostate and ovary are still being assessed for effectiveness, although high risk individuals might benefit from their use. The effectiveness of mass screenings for cancers of other sites has not been fully evaluated.

Cancers partially controllable by screening:
Cancer Type	Common Screening Tests	Screening Goals
Female breast	Mammography Clinical breast examination	Identify in situ and localized tumors
Cervix	Pap test	Identify pre-cancerous lesions and localized tumors
Colon-rectum	Digital rectal examination (DRE) Flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy	Identify pre-cancerous lesions and localized tumors
Oral cavity	Visual examination	Identify pre-cancerous lesions and in situ tumors
Prostate	Prostate specific antigen (PSA) Digital rectal examination	Identify in situ and localized tumors
Skin	Visual examination	Identify pre-cancerous lesions and in situ tumors

In recent years, Rhode Island has made some progress in adopting cancer screening. More women are getting Pap tests and mammograms, and more men and women are getting screened for colorectal cancer.

Information on trends in cancer screening can be found in the report Cancer in Rhode Island. For more information on cancer screening strategies, please refer to the Cancer Control Plan. For information on cancer screening recommendations, please refer to the Cancer Control Plan or Screening Recommendations from the American Cancer Society.

Highlights

Cancer in Rhode Island, 2003
is a comprehensive report that includes cancer rates, risk factors, prevention, screening, treatment, and survival rates for each cancer site/type.

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