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Cancer Screening Rates Down Among American Adults

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 14, 2025.

MONDAY, April 14, 2025 -- Cancer screenings are literal life savers, catching tumors early enough to cure patients and prevent deaths.

Unfortunately, routine cancer screening rates have declined significantly in the United States, a new survey says.

Only 51% of adults 21 and older say they’ve had a routine medical appointment or cancer screening in the past year, a 10-percentage-point drop from 2024, according to the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

Fear could be the driving factor, according to results from the PCF’s annual Early Detection Survey.

Around 3 in 4 adults (73%) worry when thinking about cancer screenings, poll results show.

Further, more than 36% worry about the possibility of finding out they have cancer, and of that group 39% think a cancer diagnosis usually is a death sentence, the survey says.

“If you are someone who has put off a routine screening from fear of a diagnosis, you are not alone. But if you’re going to receive a diagnosis, it is better to get it early because early detection equals better outcomes,” Jody Hoyos, CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, said in a news release.

“Our goal is to arm people with the information they need so they can feel empowered — not scared — to check their health,” Hoyos said.

April is Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month, and the foundation conducts this annual survey to keep track of cancer screening trends.

The five-year survival rate for many types of cancer is nearly 90% when found early, the PCF says.

Misinformation, confusion and skepticism are other reasons why people might be avoiding cancer screenings, poll results show:

• 43% said they didn’t know they needed to be screened.

• 40% said they didn’t get screened because they don’t have any signs or symptoms of disease.

• 40% said they don’t need to bother because they don’t have a family history of the disease.

• 1 in 7 said they are skeptical of the health care system, a 38% increase from last year.

Breast cancer has the best screening rates, with 65% of women saying they are up to date on their screening.

Other cancer types have much lower screening rates, including 32% for testicular cancer and 36% for skin cancer, the poll found.

“The success of educational campaigns and hard work of patient advocacy organizations seems to have broken through the noise and made a difference in breast cancer screening rates,” Hoyos said.

“But 65% of eligible people being screened for breast cancer is still not enough — we have a lot of work to do to increase screenings rates for better health outcomes,” she added. “And for other cancer types, it’s an even taller order.”

When people learn about the benefits of early detection, 73% are more likely to schedule their routine cancer screenings, the poll found.

And there are other ways to make cancer screening more accessible, results show:

• 42% said at-home tests would help them prioritize cancer screening.

• 32% said making the cost more affordable would help.

• 61% said text, phone call or e-mail reminders would give them a needed nudge.

• 51% said help from a patient navigator who could answer questions or set up screenings would make it more likely they’d get tested.

The survey included 7,000 U.S. adults 21 or older, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percentage point. The poll took place between Jan. 22 and Feb. 10.

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted April 2025

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