What is a screening exam?
A screening exam is a medical exam that is performed on individuals who are at risk for a particular disease or condition, but who lack any signs or symptoms of the disease or condition, to determine if the disease or condition is present. Common examples of screening procedures are: mammography for breast cancer in women over 40 years of age Pap smear for cervical cancer in women over 18 or sexually active colonoscopy for colon cancer in men and women over 50 blood pressure measurement for hypertension in anyone measuring blood sugar for diabetes in anyone. As the examples illustrate, screening exams are generally done to look for a particular disease or condition, and they should generally be done only when clinical studies have demonstrated that screening exams may do more good than harm.
