Table 1.

Selected guidelines on cancer screening for average risk adults

	Test(s)	Guideline	Year	Recommendations
Breast Cancer	Mammography	USPSTF [68]	2016	-Women 50–74 years - Biennial screening (Grade B) -Current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening in women >75 years (Grade I)
		ACS [69]	2015	-Women 45–54 years - Annual screening -Women 55 years or older with life expectancy of >10 years - Biennial screening -Patient preferences should be considered for women >40 years -Decision aids may improve decision making
Prostate Cancer	Prostate-specific antigen test	USPSTF [44]	2012	-Do not recommend screening for all men (Grade D)
		ACS [45]	2010	-Men >50 years with >10 years life expectancy - informed decision about screening for prostate cancer after receiving information about uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits. Screening should not occur without an informed decision-making process.
		AUA [46]	2013	-Men 55–69 years - shared decision making about screening -Men >70 years - do not recommend routine screening, but if they are in excellent health they may benefit
Colorectal Cancer	FOBT, FIT, stool DNA, Sigmoidoscopy, CT Colonography, Colonoscopy	USPSTF [23]	2016	-Adults 50–75 years - routine screening. Risks and benefits of different screening methods vary (Grade A) -Adults 76–85 years - individualized decisions about continued screening. Adults in this age group are more likely to benefit if never screened. Consider if healthy enough to undergo treatment for colorectal cancer and if comorbid conditions limit life expectancy (Grade C)
		ACS, US Multisociety Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, ACR [24]	2008	-Adults >50 years - routine screening. Cancer prevention tests preferred over detection tests.
		ACG [25]	2008	-Adults >50 years - routine screening. Cancer prevention tests preferred over detection tests.
		ACP [26]	2015	-Adults 50–75 years with >10 years life expectancy - routine screening by patient's preferred modality -Adults >75 years or with life expectancy <10 years - stop screening
Lung Cancer	Low-dose computed tomography	USPSTF [91]	2014	-Adults 55–80 years with >30 pack year smoking history and either currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years. Discontinue screening once person has not smoked for 15 years or develops health problems limiting life expectancy or ability or willingness to have curative lung surgery (Grade B).
		ACS [110]	2013	-Adults 55–74 years in good health with >30 pack-year smoking history and either currently smoke or quit within the last 15 years
All cancers		AGS - Choosing Wisely [9]	2013	-Do not recommend screening without considering life expectancy and the risks of testing, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment.
		SGIM - Choosing Wisely [10]	2013	-Do not recommend screening in adults with life expectancy of less than 10 years.

Abbreviations: FOBT – fecal occult blood test, FIT – immunochemical-based fecal occult blood testing, USPSTF – United States Preventive Services Task Force, ACS – American Cancer Society, AUA – American Urological Association, ACG – American College of Gastroenterology, ACR – American College of Radiology, ACP – American College of Physicians, AGS – American Geriatrics Society, SGIM – Society of General Internal Medicine.

USPSTF Grades: A – Service recommended, high certainty that net benefit is substantial, B – Service recommended, high certainty that the net benefit is moderate, C – service recommended to selected patients based on professional judgement and patient preferences, moderate certainty that net benefit is small, D – recommends against service, moderate or high certainty that the service has no net benefit or that harms outweigh benefits, I – current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of the service.