American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer

This issue of CA inaugurates a yearly report on American Cancer Society gui delines for early detection of cancer in asymptomatic individuals. The current recommendations, which reflect almost 20 years of updates, colt er screening recommendations for breast, colorectal, prostate, and cervical cancers, as well as for other cancers, depending on patient age, history, environmental and/or occupational exposures, etc. A key concept for both the general public and health providers is the disti nction between Public health recommendations regarding screening and decisi ons about en! lv detection tests that might be undertaken on an individual basis. Although it is likely that current screening protocols will be supplanted b y newer technologies, such as genetic and molecular markers of risk aid dis ease, greater utilization of the technologies at hand will improve efforts toward establishing an organized and systematic approach to early cancer de tection.