Prevention · Screening
Cancer screening overview
An overview of population cancer screening programmes — what they aim to do, why age and eligibility matter and how to find out what applies to you.
Written by LON6EVITY Editorial Team · Last updated
Overview
Screening looks for early signs of disease in people without symptoms. The NHS runs screening programmes for bowel, breast and cervical cancer, with eligibility based mainly on age and sex.
Benefits and limits
The NHS explains that screening can find problems early but can also lead to false results or finding changes that would never have caused harm. Invitations include information to help people decide.
Eligibility differs
Ages and intervals differ between countries and programmes. Check the programme where you live, and speak to a doctor if you have symptoms — screening is not for people with symptoms.
Questions people commonly ask
- Should I wait for screening if I have symptoms?
- No. Symptoms should be discussed with a doctor straight away, regardless of screening invitations.
Related tests
Related topics
See where your preventive health stands
What does this mean for your own health data? Log your results, follow trends over time and bring an organised summary to your next doctor's appointment.
Sources
- NHS screening. NHS.
- Cancer. NHS.