Population-based screening involves the systematic use of a test to identify individuals who have a previously unrecognised disease in an asymptomatic population (that is, in people not showing any symptoms of the disease). The aim of population-based screening is to reduce the burden of this disease, through detection at an early stage in individuals who would not otherwise know they were affected.
Currently in Australia three cancers have met the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for approved population-based screening programs; bowel, breast and cervical cancer. Structured national programs exist for cancer screening through the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, BreastScreen Australia, and the National Cervical Screening Program [external links].
The screening test used in a population-based cancer screening program is not intended to be diagnostic; rather it aims to distinguish between individuals who test positive (and therefore may have, or may develop, the disease) and require further specific testing to ascertain whether they have cancer or a precancerous abnormality, and those who test negative (show no early indications of disease) and require no further testing.
The AIHW has published annual monitoring reports on the performance of the BreastScreen Australia Program (see breast cancer screening) and the National Cervical Screening Program (see cervical screening) since 1996-1997 and for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program since 2006 (see bowel screening).
To find breast screening, cervical screening and bowel screening reports and related publications go to Cancer publications. For further information on the screening programs, see www.cancerscreening.gov.au [external link].