ICYMI: Studies Aim to Improve and Expand Cancer Screening – NCI Cancer Currents

Catch up on the latest news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute.

Studies Aim to Improve and Expand Cancer Screening In early 1943, Dr. George Papanicolaou and Dr. Herbert Traut published a short paper that described a method for doing something nobody else had done before: detecting cancer in otherwise healthy people. Their method "was of distinct value," they wrote, because it "reveals early cancer … at a time when cure is easy and may be said to be certain." This paper laid the foundation for the adoption of the first cancer screening test: the Pap test. To say it's been a success is an understatement. According to several different estimates, in large part because of routine Pap testing, the death rate from cervical cancer in the United States has decreased by more than 50% since the mid-1970s. Today, tests are used to screen for several major cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer. But the potential and promise of cancer screening is so great that research to improve and expand it is more robust and exciting than ever. As we've highlighted in several recent stories, that research includes the development of sophisticated tests to identify a host of cancers in a single blood draw and studies testing whether old-fashioned letters and phone calls can help more people complete the follow-up testing that is a critical part of the cancer screening process. Below are some other recent Cancer Currents stories that describe intriguing examples of research that may lead to further progress in cancer screening. We encourage you to share these stories with friends, colleagues, and anybody else who might have an interest in learning more about this exciting work. Thanks for subscribing. Carmen Phillips Managing Editor, Cancer Currents Some Women Avoid Breast Cancer Screening After False-Positive Mammogram Results Some women who receive a false-positive result on a mammogram may not come back for routine breast cancer screening in the future, a new study finds. Better doctor–patient communication about the screening process is needed, several researchers said. Read More Colorectal Cancer Screening: Where Does the Shield Liquid Biopsy Fit In? FDA recently approved the Shield test, the first blood test for the primary screening of people at average risk of colorectal cancer. Where does it fit in with other screening options for the disease, including colonoscopy and stool tests? Read More FDA Approves HPV Tests That Allow for Self-Collection in a Health Care Setting The expanded approval of two HPV tests allows the patient to collect a vaginal sample themselves in a health care setting, rather than a health provider collecting a sample during a pelvic exam. The availability of a self-collection option in health care settings could help widen access to cervical cancer screening. Read More Anal Cancer Advances Open Door to Screening and Prevention A recent study showed that removing precancerous anal lesions can prevent anal cancer. Scientists are now studying how best to screen people at a high risk of anal cancer, including those with HIV, for these lesions. Read More Screening People at High Risk for Pancreatic Cancer May Help Them Live Longer Regular imaging tests to monitor the pancreas may help detect pancreatic cancer at an early stage in people who are at high risk, a new study suggests. This type of surveillance could also help improve how long these patients live. Read More Could Bacteria Help Find Cancer? Engineered bacteria can detect tumor DNA that has been shed into the gut by colorectal tumors, a new study in mice shows. The bacteria are programmed to seek and capture DNA containing a specific genetic change found in cancer. Read More Additional Resources from NCI Cancer Screening Cancer Screening Overview (PDQ®)–Patient Version Cancer Screening and Early Detection Research NCI Cancer Currents Blog – Screening and Early Detection To read more news and research updates from the National Cancer Institute, visit the Cancer Currents blog.

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