What cancer screenings are recommended for adults aged 25 and above?

From the Guidelines

Cancer screenings are recommended for adults aged 25 and above, including breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancer screenings, as well as discussions about prostate and endometrial cancer screenings.

Recommended Screenings

• Breast Cancer: Women aged 40-54 years should undergo regular screening mammography starting at age 45 years, with annual screening for women aged 45-54 years, and biennial screening or the option to continue annual screening for women aged 55 years and older 1.
• Cervical Cancer: Women aged 21-29 years should be screened every 3 years with a Pap test, while women aged 30-65 years should be screened every 5 years with both a Pap test and HPV DNA test, or every 3 years with a Pap test alone 1.
• Colorectal Cancer: Adults aged 45 years and older should undergo regular screening with either a high-sensitivity stool-based test or a structural examination, with options including annual fecal immunochemical tests, colonoscopy every 10 years, or CT colonography every 5 years 1.
• Lung Cancer: Annual screening with low-dose helical CT is recommended for current or former smokers aged 55-74 years with at least a 30-pack-year smoking history 1.

Additional Considerations

• Prostate Cancer: Men aged 50 years and older should have an opportunity to make an informed decision with their healthcare provider about prostate cancer screening after receiving information about the potential benefits, risks, and uncertainties associated with screening 1.
• Endometrial Cancer: Women should be informed about the risks and symptoms of endometrial cancer at the time of menopause and encouraged to report any unexpected bleeding or spotting to their physicians 1.

From the Research

Cancer Screening Recommendations

The following cancer screenings are recommended for adults aged 25 and above:

• Breast cancer screening:
  • Annual mammography screening is recommended starting at age 40, as it provides the greatest mortality reduction, diagnosis at an earlier stage, better surgical options, and more effective chemotherapy 2, 3, 4
  • Women who wish to maximize benefit will choose annual screening starting at age 40 years and will not stop screening prematurely 2
• Cervical cancer screening:
  • Screening guidelines and recommendations are available, but the exact age to start and stop screening is not specified in the provided evidence 5, 6
• Colorectal cancer screening:
  • Screening guidelines and recommendations are available, but the exact age to start and stop screening is not specified in the provided evidence 5, 6
• Prostate cancer screening:
  • Screening guidelines and recommendations are available, but the exact age to start and stop screening is not specified in the provided evidence 5

Age-Specific Screening Recommendations

The following age-specific screening recommendations are available:

• Women aged 40-49 years:
  • Routine mammography screening has been shown to reduce breast cancer mortality, years of life lost to breast cancer, and morbidity of breast cancer treatment by detecting cancers at an earlier stage 3, 4
  • The benefits and risks of breast cancer screening differ by age and should influence shared decision-making discussions 4
• Women aged 50 years and older:
  • Routine mammography screening has been shown to reduce the age-adjusted mortality rate from breast cancer by 34% over the past 20 years 3
• Individuals aged 75 years and older:
  • The likelihood of screening past the guideline-based age decreases with comorbidity burden for breast and cervical cancer screening, but not for colorectal cancer screening 6