Bone Cancer Screening: An Overview
Bone cancer screening is used to test people for early stages of bone cancer even though they do not have any
bone cancer symptoms. At this point, a routine, effective bone cancer screening test has not been developed.
Understanding Cancer Screening
Scientists have studied patterns of cancer in the population to learn:
- Which people are more likely to get certain types of cancer
- What things around us may cause cancer
- What things we do in our lives that may cause cancer (see Causes of Bone Cancer).
This information can help doctors recommend:
- Who should be screened for certain types of cancer
- What types of screening tests people should have
- How often these tests should be done.
If your doctor suggests certain cancer screening tests as part of your healthcare plan, this does not mean that your doctor thinks that you have cancer. Screening tests are done when patients do not have symptoms. Decisions about screening can be difficult. Therefore, patients should talk to their doctor about the potential benefits and risks of screening tests and whether they have been proven to decrease the risk of dying from cancer. If your doctor suspects that you may have cancer, he or she will order diagnostic tests. Tests that are used for diagnostic purposes are usually not suitable for screening people who do not have symptoms.
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