Recommendation Statement
Brief Evidence Update Release Date: June 2004
Summary of Recommendation / Supporting Documents
Rating: D Recommendation.
Rationale: The USPSTF found fair evidence that screening with available tests can detect bladder cancer in asymptomatic individuals. The potential benefit of screening would be small, at best, for the following reasons: there is fair evidence that many of the cancers detected by screening have a low tendency to progress to invasive disease; there is a relatively low overall prevalence of asymptomatic bladder cancer that would eventually lead to important clinical consequences; and there is limited evidence that early treatment of bladder cancer detected through screening improves long-term health outcomes. The potential harms of screening are at least small: screening tests have a low positive predictive value and yield many false positive results, leading to unnecessary invasive procedures. As a result, the USPSTF concluded that the potential harms of screening for bladder cancer outweigh any potential benefits.
Screening for Bladder Cancer, 2004
Recommendation Statement
Brief Evidence Update
Related Resources
Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2nd Edition
Screening for Bladder Cancer, 1996
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