Introduction:
Screening tests are diagnostic tests. The main aim of screening tests is to detect disease at the early stage, because of which it is easy to treat the disease much earlier. In addition, screening tests are generally done to find the cause of specific symptoms.
What Is Screening?
A screening test is performed on the population to detect any illness. The main objective of the screening is to have early detection and treatment of disease to reduce morbidity or mortality in the population. Screening tests are not always done to look for the disease; sometimes, screening tests aim to detect risk factors for specific conditions.
There are different types of screening. For example, all newborns are offered the same tests, one kind of screening. The other type of screening is called opportunistic screening. In this type of screening, the patient visits the doctor for a particular reason. You cannot use these medical tests, which are used for screening to make a final diagnosis. These tests can be used to check for abnormalities first, and then they are looked at closely with the help of other tests.
Can Screening Prevent Diseases?
Screening tests are mistaken for the prevention of disease. People think that if they have regular screenings, they can protect themselves from the disease, which is not true. Screening tests usually cannot prevent diseases. The screening tests/programs can only be considered preventive as they determine and influence the risk factors and detect and help treat the abnormal changes that can later develop into a disease. For example, an endoscopy of the bowel is done to detect and remove intestinal polyps, if present, could later develop into cancer. So screening can prevent diseases from developing in some people. But not all people have the same risk of infection. For example, the risk of many diseases depends very much on age. So if you have worrying symptoms, it is necessary to take them seriously and have them checked by the doctor.
Does Screening Have Any Harmful Effects?
Yes, a screening test can have harmful effects. For example, endoscopy of the bowel can cause bleeding in some cases, or it might even cause serious injuries. In addition, X-rays expose the body to radiation. So before carrying out a screening test, it is important to know the benefits and harms of the test.
What Is the Importance of Screening Tests and The Types of Screening Tests?
Screening tests, diet, and exercise are essential to maintain good health and quality of life. In addition, screening can give us long and healthier lives as it helps identify the diseases in people who do not have any signs and symptoms of the disease yet.
There are different types of screening tests like:
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Cancer screening.
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Health screenings and regular checkups will help to detect cancer at an early stage and also treat it accordingly.
Following cancers can be screened as:
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Breast Cancer Screening - Breast cancer is seen in women. Women should get screened if they have a family history of breast cancer. In addition, women above 45 should get their routine mammogram screening done.
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Prostate Cancer Screening - Prostate cancer is seen in men. For men between the ages of 50 years - 75 years old with a family history of prostate cancer should get screened.
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Cervical Cancer - Pap smear is recommended for all sexually active women.
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Kidney Cancer - A urine test may be carried out to check for the presence of blood. Other tests include blood tests and CT scans.
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Colorectal Cancer - Diabetic patients are at risk for developing colorectal cancer, so they must do routine screening for colorectal cancer.
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Screening for lifestyle diseases includes high blood pressure and diabetes.
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Screening for heart diseases.
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Screening for kidney diseases includes a blood test to check for creatinine, a urine test to check protein, and a blood pressure value check.
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Screening for genetic diseases.
When Should You Have a Screening Test?
The World Health Organization has defined criteria for evaluating population-wise screening tests, which help you decide whether one should have or not have the screening test. WHO points out that early diagnosis and treatment do not lead to an improved health outcome. However, detecting a disease early makes people aware of it and can help them treat it accordingly.
The WHO criteria include:
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The test must be reliable and not harmful.
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The screening must be done only for diseases that have serious consequences.
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After the screening, if the condition is detected, there must be an effective treatment for that.
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Information should be made available to the public about the screening tests to help them decide for themselves whether they should have a screening test or not.
How Are The Benefits Of Screening Tests Assessed?
The benefits of screening tests are assessed by:
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By knowing the reliability of the test.
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By understanding the benefits and the risks.
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By knowing which group of people benefit from early diagnosis and treatment.
Conclusion:
In the coming years, the screening will become even more important as some companies have already started offering their services by doing a person's genetic profile and providing them a risk profile of potential diseases to which a person may be prone.
