Screening for gynaecological cancers
Screening refers to testing an asymptomatic cohort, aiming for early diagnosis and treatment of a disease and improved prognosis. There are clear criteria which need to be met for successful screening to be possible:
- The disease is common enough within the screened population
- The disease has recognised precancerous stages with well-understood natural history, slow progression and (relatively simple and conservative) treatments with good results
- A non-invasive, safe, cheap and reproducible test is available