Specificity is the chance a person without cancer has a negative test. PPV is the chance that a person with a positive test has cancer. NPV is the chance that a person with a negative test does not have cancer. PPV and, to a lesser degree, NPV are affected by the prevalence of disease in the screened population. Physician judgment is needed in such circumstances to determine the most appropriate application of available screening methods.
Prudence suggests increased vigilance in the higher-risk populations.
This primarily means that the high-risk person is identified, is counseled appropriately, and regularly undergoes the screening procedures of known benefit. Cancer Recurrence Please see the PDQ treatment summaries for information on cancer recurrence. The relation of stage to survival and mortality is the basis of clinical cancer management. It is the major factor in prognosis and determination of treatment. These elements are then grouped into stages 0-IV according to their association with survival.