Screening for Breast and Prostate Cancers — Not Living Up to Its Reputation?

Breast and prostate cancer account for more than a quarter of all cancers in the U.S., and the American Cancer Society (ACS) has supported extensive screening programs for both. A new analysis suggests that we rethink screening for breast and prostate cancer. During the last 20 years, after screening was introduced, incidence of breast and prostate cancer rose and never returned to prescreening levels; also, more cases were early cancers. However, the absolute number of advanced breast and prostate cancers that were diagnosed during this period has not fallen as predicted. Thus, whereas colon and cervical cancer screening detects precancerous, treatable conditions (e.g., polyps, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia), prostate and breast cance…