Cancer Screening in the United States, 2011 A Review of Current American Cancer Society Guidelines and Issues in Cancer Screening

Each year the American Cancer Society (ACS) publishes a summary of its recommendations for early cancer detection, a report on data and trends in cancer screening rates, and select issues related to cancer screening. This article summarizes the current ACS guidelines, describes the anticipated impact of new health care reform legislation on cancer screening, and discusses recent public debates over the comparative effectiveness of different colorectal cancer screening tests. The latest data on the utilization of cancer screening from the National Health Interview Survey is described, as well as several recent reports on the role of health care professionals in adult utilization of cancer screening. CA Cancer J Clin 2011;61:8-30. (C) 2011 American Cancer Society.