Here is an excerpt taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is a government agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.

This excerpt reveals facts on the status of cancer and the importance of cancer screening...

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America, exceeded only by heart disease. Every year, cancer claims the lives of more than half a million people. Many cancer deaths could be avoided if more people were screened for cancer.

Screening for colorectal, breast, and cervical cancers can reduce illness and death through early detection of cancers and pre-cancers. Yet many adults are not getting regular lifesaving screenings as recommended. Colorectal, breast, and cervical cancers accounted for nearly a fifth of all U.S. cancer deaths in 2001, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.

Cancer Screening Saves Lives
Early detection could substantially reduce the billions of dollars spent on cancer treatment each year. Not only does cancer screening save lives by detecting breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers early; it also is the first step in preventing many cases of colorectal and cervical cancers from ever developing:

Routine screening can reduce the number of people who die of colorectal cancer by as much as 60% or more.

A mammogram every 1–2 years can reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer by approximately 20%–25% over 10 years for women aged 40 years or older.

Pap tests can detect precancerous lesions so they can be treated before cervical cancer develops. Researchers in many countries found that rates of cervical cancer death dropped by 20%–60% after screening programs began.

Screening is an effective prevention method. Please see your healthcare physician and get on a cancer screening schedule.