How accurate are cancer screening tests?
Cancer screening can be a powerful way to help detect cancer early, but it is not always accurate. It may falsely label a normal tissue as potentially cancerous (false positive) and cause a false alarm. Any abnormal findings may require further investigations or a referral to a specialist, and this may cause anxiety in people being diagnosed for cancer. Sometimes, cancer screenings may also miss a cancer and not pick up all occult diseases (false negative). If in doubt, speak with your doctor to understand the benefits and limitations of screening, and to determine the most appropriate screening tests for you.