APPENDIX TABLE

Current screening recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Cancer Society

Return to ECP Contents, Finding and Redifining Disease
SCREENING STRATEGY U.S. PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE* AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY†
  AGE (yr) FREQUENCY AGE (yr) FREQUENCY
Colorectal cancer
Fecal occult blood testing 50+

Yearly

and/or

 50+

Yearly

and
Sigmoidoscopy 50+ Periodically (unspecified)

50+

Every 3 - 5 years

or
Colonoscopy Insufficient evidence to recommend for or against 50+

Every 10 years?

or
Double-contrast barium enema Insufficient evidence to recommend for or against 50+ Every 5 - 10 years
Digital rectal examination Insufficient evidence to recommend for or against 50+ At the same time as above tests
Prostate cancer
Digital rectal examination Not recommended 50+ Offer yearly
Prostate-specific antigen
General population Not recommended 50+ (if expected to live >= 10 years) Offer yearly
High-risk men‡   45+ high risk Offer yearly
Cervical cancer
Papanicolaou test 18 - 65 (sexually active) Every 1 - 3 years 18+ Yearly for 3 years then MD choice
Breast cancer
Mammography 40 - 49 Insufficient evidence to recommend for or against 40 - 49 Yearly
  50 - 75 Every 1 - 2 years 50+

Yearly

and
Clinical breast examination May be added to mammography

20 - 40

40+

Every 3 years

Yearly

and
Self breast examination Insufficient evidence to recommend for or against 20+ Monthly
Skin cancer
Complete skin examination Insufficient evidence to recommend for or against

20 - 39

40+

Every 3 years

Every year

*U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2d ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1996.

†Summary of American Cancer Society Recommendations for the Early Detection of Cancer in Asymptomatic People. 1998 American Cancer Society World Wide Web Page (www.cancer.org).

‡Family history for prostate cancer (>=2 first-degree relatives); African-American.