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PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of cystic fibrosis carrier screening programs according to genetic screening criteria.

Genetic screening programs should meet certain criteria before they can be introduced into the community. The aim of this study was to discuss pilot studies for cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier screening before and during pregnancy in the light of important genetic screening criteria. Overall, CF carrier screening meets the prerequisites that justify screening. However, more specific criteria for the development of screening programs were not always taken into consideration. Most project leaders concentrated on uptake as an important outcome, and less on informed decision-making. To further investigate the long-term psychological and social effects of genetic screening, continuous monitoring of screening projects is recommended.

Cystic Fibrosis↗

PubMed2006

Coverage of antenatal syphilis screening and predictors for not being screened in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the coverage of antenatal syphilis screening and identify factors related to women not being screened. GOAL: To assess the syphilis control program in Mongolia. STUDY DESIGN: Antenatal care records of women in 16 antenatal care clinics of 6 districts were reviewed. Additionally, postpartum women were interviewed to identify potential factors for not being screened. RESULTS: Among 3,519 antenatal records, the coverage of syphilis screening was 77.7%. Of 2,735 screened women, 54 (2.0%) had reactive serological results and subsequently received treatment. Four late antenatal care comers delivered infants with congenital syphilis. Being unscreened was significantly associated with late antenatal care (odds ratio OR=2.6), lack of knowledge (OR=5.5), history of previous sexually transmitted infection (OR=3.7), and living far from screening services (OR=4.9). CONCLUSIONS: The coverage of antenatal syphilis screening is still low, with poor contact tracing. More efforts are needed to promote early antenatal care visit and improve syphilis screening systems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2007

Melanoma/skin cancer screening in a Mediterranean country: results of the Euromelanoma Screening Day Campaign in Greece.

BACKGROUND: Since the year 2000 a melanoma/skin cancer screening campaign has been organized annually in Greece in the context of the Euromelanoma Screening Day Campaign. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyse the characteristics of the screened population, to recognize relevant risk factors and to identify the cases of histologically confirmed malignant melanoma (MM) in individuals with suspicious skin lesions. METHODS: An analysis of the completed screening forms from the years 2000-2004 was performed with respect to relevant demographic, epidemiological and clinical data. RESULTS: A total of 9723 individuals were screened, most of whom where below the age of 50 years (71%), female (59%), and of skin phototype II and III (76%). Sunburn during childhood was reported in 47% of participants, while 5% of the screened population had a personal or family history of melanoma. On clinical examination, 14.4% had actinic keratoses, 31.2% had dysplastic nevi, while 6.4% carried a presumptive diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer. In the 2003-2004 screening campaign, 19 out of the 171 clinically suspicious lesions were histologically proven to be MM, the majority of which (58%) were 'thin' melanomas (Breslow's thickness of<or=1 mm) of the superficial spreading type. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that, a melanoma/skin cancer screening programme in a Mediterranean country, supported by an intense publicity campaign, attracted many individuals at risk for skin cancer and detected mostly thin melanomas of the superficial spreading type.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Toward optimal screening strategies for older women. Costs, benefits, and harms of breast cancer screening by age, biology, and health status.

CONTEXT: Optimal ages of breast cancer screening cessation remain uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate screening policies based on age and quartiles of life expectancy (LE). DESIGN AND POPULATION: We used a stochastic model with proxies of age-dependent biology to evaluate the incremental U.S. societal costs and benefits of biennial screening from age 50 until age 70, 79, or lifetime. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Discounted incremental costs per life years saved (LYS). RESULTS: Lifetime screening is expensive (151,434 dollars per LYS) if women have treatment and survival comparable to clinical trials (idealized); stopping at age 79 costs 82,063 dollars per LYS. This latter result corresponds to costs associated with an LE of 9.5 years at age 79, a value expected for 75% of 79-year-olds, about 50% of 80-year-olds, and 25% of 85-year-olds. Using actual treatment and survival patterns, screening benefits are greater, and lifetime screening of all women might be considered (114,905 dollars per LYS), especially for women in the top 25% of LE for their age (50,643 dollars per LYS, life expectancy of approximately 7 years at age 90). CONCLUSIONS: If all women receive idealized treatment, the benefits of mammography beyond age 79 are too low relative to their costs to justify continued screening. However, if treatment is not ideal, extending screening beyond age 79 could be considered, especially for women in the top 25% of life expectancy for their age.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2005

Can we evaluate population screening strategies in UK general practice? A pilot randomised controlled trial comparing postal and opportunistic screening for genital chlamydial infection.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess whether opportunistic and postal screening strategies for Chlamydia trachomatis can be compared with usual care in a randomised trial in general practice. DESIGN: Feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Three West of Scotland general medical practices: one rural, one urban/deprived, and one urban/affluent. PARTICIPANTS: 600 women aged 16-30 years, 200 from each of three participating practices selected at random from a sample of West of Scotland practices that had expressed interest in the study. The women could opt out of the study. Those who did not were randomly assigned to one of three groups: postal screening, opportunistic screening, or usual care. RESULTS: 38% (85 of 221) of the approached practices expressed interest in the study. Data were collected successfully from the three participating practices. There were considerable workload implications for staff. Altogether 124 of the 600 women opted out of the study. During the four month study period, 55% (81 of 146) of the control group attended their practice but none was offered screening. Some 59% (80 of 136) women in the opportunistic group attended their practice of whom 55% (44 of 80) were offered screening. Of those, 64% (28 of 44) accepted, representing 21% of the opportunistic group. Forty eight per cent (59 of 124) of the postal group returned samples. CONCLUSION: A randomised controlled trial comparing postal and opportunistic screening for chlamydial infection in general practice is feasible, although resource intensive. There may be problems with generalizing from screening trials in which patients may opt out from the offer of screening.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Cost of quality management and information provision for screening: colorectal cancer screening.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the costs of a quality management (QM) system as proposed by the Quality Management for Screening report for a future national colorectal cancer screening programme. METHODS: Estimates of the costs of the QM system, including the associated costs of education and training and information provision, were based on expert opinion, the existing literature, and the experience of the current National Health Service (NHS) breast cancer screening programme (BSP) and the NHS cervical cancer screening programme (CSP). RESULTS: The cost of a QM system to support a national colorectal cancer programme in the UK was estimated as approximately 3.8 million a year. Further annual costs related to QM will include 500000 for education and training and 200000 for information provision. Adding these additional costs to a previously published UK economic evaluation of colorectal cancer screening increases the cost-utility ratio to approximately 6500 per quality adjusted life year gained (over an eight year follow up period). CONCLUSIONS: Any new screening programme, or an existing one, must have QM to ensure that the quality of screening is high and to maintain the right balance between benefit and harm. The significant costs of such a QM system should be included in any economic evaluation of a screening programme.

Budgets↗

PubMed2002

Crude open biopsy rates for benign screen detected lesions no longer reflect breast screening quality--time to change the standard.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changing nature of the benign screen detected breast abnormalities removed at open biopsy over a seven year period and to compare this with the improving cancer detection rate and non-operative diagnosis rate. SETTING: The Bolton, Bury, and Rochdale Breast Screening Programme. METHODS: The histopathology reports of the benign lesions removed from patients undergoing open biopsy for screen detected abnormalities between 1 April 1994 and 31 March 2001 were reviewed and the lesions classified on the B1 to B5 scale. Cancer detection rates and non-operative cancer diagnosis rates were ascertained from the breast screening computer system. RESULTS: 148 benign surgical biopsies were performed in the seven year period. There was a moderate increase in the overall benign biopsy rate over the period (from 1.26 open biopsies per 1000 women screened for the three years 1994-97 to 1.63 open biopsies per 1000 women screened for the three years 1998-2001). The biopsy rate for B2 (benign) lesions decreased slightly over the study period but the biopsy rate for B3 lesions (that is, of uncertain malignant potential) more than doubled. The majority (84%) of the B3 lesions were radial scars. There was a steady improvement in the cancer detection rate and the non-operative cancer diagnosis rate over the period, similar to that seen nationally. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in screening technique and detection ability result in an increase in the number of subtle radiologically indeterminate or suspicious lesions detected. Many of these are radial scars, which require excision. Crude benign open biopsy rates for screening programmes are no longer meaningful, and should now be refined with separate rates for B2 lesions and B3 lesions. High quality programmes can expect to have low B2 open biopsy rates and high B3 open biopsy rates. It is inappropriate to have an upper limit for the B3 open biopsy rate.

Biomarkers↗

PubMed1992

Mobile mammographic screening of self-referred women: results of 22,540 screenings.

In this mass screening mammography program, self-referred women are accepted for screening only if part of a sponsoring organization. Screening is performed with mobile equipment, often at the work site. Of the first 22,540 screenings, 61% (n = 13,784) were of women aged 35-49 years. Eighty-nine percent (n = 20,025) of the screenings were normal. Of 51 women in whom cancer was found, 38 (75%) were recommended for biopsy on the basis of their initial two-view mammogram. The prevalence of breast cancer generally increased with advancing age but was similar between women aged 35-39 years and those aged 40-49 years. Of the 28 women with complete histologic studies, 43% (n = 12) had pure intraductal cancer and another 43% had negative findings at axillary node dissection. Program costs dictated a $65 fee. Within the design of this program it has been possible to screen large numbers of self-referred women and detect early carcinomas. Program design, however, may make screening more expensive than in a fixed screening site accepting only physician-referred women.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Detection of simulated chest lesions: comparison of a conventional screen-film combination, an asymmetric screen-film system, and storage phosphor radiography.

PURPOSE: To compare a high-contrast asymmetric screen-film system with a conventional screen-film combination and storage phosphor radiographs for detection of simulated chest lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To test the diagnostic performance of these three systems, the authors used three types of simulated lesions that were superimposed over the chests of 10 patients and an anthropomorphic phantom. In the patient and phantom study, a total of 1,350 observations by each of the eight radiologists were analyzed by means of receiver operating characteristics. RESULTS: In the patient study, mediastinal nodules were better visualized with high-contrast asymmetric screen-film and storage phosphor radiographs compared with the conventional screen-film system. For visualization of pulmonary nodules, the high-contrast asymmetric screen-film system was best. Micronodules were poorly visualized on high-contrast asymmetric screen-film and storage phosphor radiographs, but only in the phantom study. CONCLUSION: The high-contrast asymmetric screen-film system combines the advantages of conventional screen-film radiographs with improved visualization of the mediastinum.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Participation in faecal occult blood screening for colorectal cancer in a well defined French population: results of five screening rounds from 1988 to 1996.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence on compliance of demographic variables and of the way of proposing a faecal occult blood test in a colorectal cancer mass screening programme. SETTING: Well defined population in Burgundy (France). METHODS: From 1988 to 1996 five screening rounds were conducted in people aged 45 to 74 on entering the study. The screening test was provided free of charge by primary care physicians over a four month period, then mailed to non-consultants, followed by a potential reminder letter. The whole population was invited to participate in each screening campaign. RESULTS: During the five successive rounds, compliance was 52.8%, 54.0%, 57.3%, 58.3%, and 56.2%. It was higher in women than in men, in those initially aged 50 to 69 than in the extreme age groups, and in urban than in rural areas. Overall, 68.7% of the invited population completed at least one screening test and 37.2% completed the five rounds. Among those who participated once in a screening campaign, between 79.6% and 87.6% participated in the succeeding ones. Compliance was higher when the test was proposed by GPs (varying between 85.2% and 94.0% according to the screening campaign) than when it was sent by post (varying between 26.0% and 33.7%). CONCLUSION: In France, a participation rate of over 50% can be achieved in colorectal cancer screening by means of a faecal occult blood test. To achieve this, primary care physicians have to play an active part in the programme and the test must be mailed to non-consultants.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Screening for physical and psychological illness in the British Armed Forces: II: Barriers to screening--learning from the opinions of Service personnel.

OBJECTIVE: To identify any potential barriers to the effectiveness of a military health screening programme based on the beliefs of British Service personnel. METHODS: As part of a pilot evaluation of the suitability of a new health screening questionnaire for the British Armed Forces, 73 men and women from the three Services, of various ranks and age, underwent a semi-structured interview after completing a screening questionnaire. Participants were asked about the veracity of their answers and their views regarding a screening questionnaire. Afterwards questionnaires were sent to 4496 randomly selected personnel from the three Services, which validated the main emerging themes. A constant comparative method of analysis was used to identify and categorise all ideas presented. RESULTS: The main barriers to health screening were lack of trust, perceived low quality of healthcare, and perceived lack of concern within the institution about work environments and home life. The central issue was 'confidence' in military health care provision. Screening was considered worthwhile, but many confided that they would not honestly answer some items in the questionnaire. Lack of trust in medical confidentiality, stigmatisation and fears that the process would jeopardise career prospects were stressed. Many Service personnel admitted to seeking medical help outside the Armed Forces. CONCLUSIONS: Concerns raised by Service personnel may endanger the value of a screening programme and the provision of health services. Greater emphasis needs to be placed upon gaining the confidence of those targeted for health screening.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Colorectal cancer screening in Finland: details of the national screening programme implemented in Autumn 2004.

Colorectal cancer mortality can be reduced by repeated faecal occult blood (FOB) testing followed by colonoscopy for test positives. The object of this report is to describe how to launch a new screening programme in such a way that its effectiveness can be reliably evaluated. The programme is based on gradual expansion over time with individual-level randomization into screening or control arms among a target population aged 60-69 years in Finland. The target population will be sampled from the population register for invitees and controls by municipality and by birth cohort. The non-invited controls will gradually be screened only after the six-year implementation period. After 10 years, the programme covers the entire target population. The effects of screening will be evaluated, comparing the incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer in those invited to screening with controls. The primary screening test is a biannual guaiac-based FOB test with three test cards for consecutive samples. In September-December 2004, around 5000 test-kits were sent to 22 piloting municipalities. In 2005, the programme expands both among municipalities and the target population, resulting in nearly 20,000 individual requests. The implementation of colorectal cancer screening in Finland in this way meets the criteria for a randomized controlled trial and the requirements for a public health programme. It allows unbiased research data to be collected while introducing the programme and may set an example for the introduction of all national screening programmes.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Radiographers as film readers in screening mammography: an assessment of competence under test and screening conditions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of radiographers as film readers in screening mammography. Seven radiographers received training in mammogram interpretation at a National Health Service (NHS) Breast Screening Training Centre. Film reading performance was assessed over a period of 1 year after training with test sets of selected screening mammograms. Actual screening performance on contemporary screening mammograms was monitored after training in relation to radiologist decisions and screening outcome. It was found that trained radiographers read mammograms to a standard comparable with that of radiologists. Film reading skills were maintained consistently over the period of this study and transferred to actual screening performance. It was concluded that radiographers could play a useful role as second readers in screening mammography. Training needs have to be assessed in relation to the role the film reading radiographer is to adopt.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis: evaluation of benefits and risks and recommendations for state newborn screening programs.

In November 2003, CDC and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation cosponsored a workshop to review the benefits and risks associated with newborn screening for cystic fibrosis (CF). This report describes new research findings and outlines the recommendations of the workshop. The peer-reviewed evidence presented at the workshop supports the clinical utility of newborn screening for CF. Demonstrated long-term benefits from early nutritional treatment as a result of newborn screening for CF include improved growth and, in one study, cognitive development. Other benefits might include reduced hospitalizations and improved survival. Mixed evidence has been reported for pulmonary outcomes. Newborn screening in the United States is associated with diagnosis of CF a median of 1 year earlier than symptomatic detection, which might reduce the expense and anxiety associated with workup for failure to thrive or other symptoms. Certain psychosocial risks for carrier children and their families (e.g., anxiety and misunderstanding) are associated with newborn screening. Exposure of young children to infectious agents through person-to-person transmission in clinical settings, although not an inherent risk of newborn screening, is a potential cause of harm from early detection. Involving specialists in CF care and infection control, genetic counseling, and communication can minimize these potential harms. Although screening decisions depend on a state's individual resources and priorities, on the basis of evidence of moderate benefits and low risk of harm, CDC believes that newborn screening for CF is justified. States should consider the magnitude of benefits and costs and the need to minimize risks through careful planning and implementation, including ongoing collection and evaluation of outcome data.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1991

Do public cholesterol screenings really screen?

Two hospital-sponsored cholesterol-screening programs were evaluated to assess whether they detected individuals with undiagnosed high blood cholesterol. Surveys asking about prior testing, knowledge of cholesterol level, and participant characteristics were examined to test screening utilization. In both screenings 54% of participants reported having prior cholesterol testing, only 56% of whom knew their cholesterol level. Of previously untested participants, 8% had high blood cholesterol levels and 13% had borderline levels. Only 65% of participants with a personal or family history of heart attack were aware of their cholesterol level. To attract individuals without prior testing, screening planners should consider locations (eg, worksites and schools) and methods (eg, weekend screenings) to target underrepresented groups in community-wide cholesterol screenings. We encourage an increased emphasis on individualized exit education for participants, especially those who know their cholesterol level or have multiple risk factors for vascular disease. Physicians planning public screenings can utilize this data to develop parameters for referrals from the screenings.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Participation in mass screening for colorectal cancer: results of screening and rescreening from the Burgundy study.

A controlled study was made in Burgundy (France) to assess the acceptability and efficiency of colorectal cancer screening using the Hemoccult test. A total of 91,000 people aged 45 to 74 years were included. The first screening campaign was made from January to July 1988 or 1989, and rescreening occurred from January to July 1990. During the first 4 months of the campaign, the General Practitioners (GPs) offered the test to their patients. It was then mailed to all subjects who had not completed it with a recall letter, if necessary, one month later. The overall compliance rate was 54.0% in the first campaign and 55.5% in the second campaign. A total of 63.7% subjects had completed at least one screening test over the two screening campaigns. Compliance was lower among men than women; compliance rate was also lower in the youngest and oldest age group than in the intermediate age groups. During the second screening campaign, the participation rate was 83.6% among participants in the first screening campaign and 20.9% among non-participants. Compliance during the medical offer phase was higher (81.4% during the first campaign, 82.9% during the second campaign) than during the postal offer phase (respectively, 33.8% and 28.5%). It was easier for GPs to propose the test when they had to offer it than when they had to prescribe it. These results suggest that a satisfactory participation rate can be obtained in France if GPs are actively involved in the screening programme. The final objective is to find a 25% difference in 5-year mortality by large bowel cancer between the screened and the test population.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1991

The potential and limitations of opportunistic screening: data from a computer simulation of a general practice screening programme.

Given the continuing emphasis on preventive medicine in general practice, there is considerable interest in the relative effectiveness of different ways of inviting patients to attend for screening. Recently, opportunistic methods have been advocated as being particularly useful but these methods often fail to reach a high proportion of the target population. Many patients do not consult and when they do they are not always invited to attend for screening. In this study a computer simulation model has been used to examine the effects of these variables in more detail. The notes of a random sample of 190 patients (97 women, 93 men) aged 30-50 years, registered with one general practitioner, were used to provide data for the model. The simulation model showed that increasing the number of screening appointments available each week has only a small effect on screening rates and that a ceiling is reached when 25 appointments per 1000 patients are available. In contrast, increasing the proportion of eligible consulting patients who are invited has a substantial effect such that it could take nearly 12 years to screen 90% of a target population if only one out of every four patients were invited compared with under four years if three out of every four patients were invited. The results suggest therefore that opportunistic screening methods are unlikely to achieve desired screening rates within acceptable time limits. It is argued that to achieve target levels of screening, practices will need to combine opportunistic methods with more formal methods of invitation.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed1990

[Reevaluation of benefit and risk of mass screening for stomach cancer--comparison between X-ray diagnosis and endoscopy as the screening test].

Mass screening for stomach cancer has been widely performed throughout Japan, since stomach cancer is the most important disease among various malignant diseases in Japan. As a screening test, the X-ray diagnosis with barium contrast medium is used and the risk of X-ray exposure must be considered in order to compare with the benefit of the mass screening. We have reported in the previous article in 1977 that the benefit and risk of stomach cancer mass screening become equal at age of 40 y.o. Since then, various conditions with the mass screening of stomach cancer have changed so that reevaluation of the benefit and risk relationship is necessary. Especially the risk coefficient of radiation-induced stomach cancer has been revised drastically in the report of United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of radiation in 1988. So, in this report, the benefit of mass screening of stomach cancer is defined as the net elongation of average life expectancy due to the life saved, and the risk of the screening is defined as the net shortage of average life expectancy due to the radiation-induced stomach cancer and leukemia. Since the benefit increases rapidly with age and the risk decreases with age, a certain age at which the benefit and risk become identical should be found and under this age the mass screening is not justified to be performed. Assuming X-ray dose equivalent to stomach of 10 mSv and risk coefficient of stomach cancer of 12.6 X 10(-3) Sv-1 from the United Nations report, the critical age is found to be about 35 y.o. for men and women.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗