Cancer Screening

US adult cancer screening lives at the intersection of three reference bodies: USPSTF (federal task force), ACS (American Cancer Society), and NCCN (National Comprehensive Cancer Network — clinical detection guidelines). They sometimes disagree on age thresholds; surface both when counseling.

Cross-cutting screening references

• USPSTF Recommendations — federal A–Z screening recs with letter grades; primary care default.
• ACS Cancer Screening Guidelines (overview) — ACS organizational summary of all cancer screening recommendations.
• NCCN Detection / Prevention Guidelines (free with registration) — NCCN’s screening side (separate from oncology treatment guidelines).

Breast

• USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening 2024 — biennial mammography 40–74 (updated from 50–74).
• ACS Breast Cancer Screening 2015 — annual starting 45, biennial at 55; differs from USPSTF.
• NCCN Breast Cancer Screening & Diagnosis — more intensive screening for high-risk patients.
• Tyrer-Cuzick (IBIS) Breast Cancer Risk Calculator — peer-reviewed lifetime breast cancer risk; used to identify candidates for MRI screening.
• Gail Model (NCI Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool) — 5-year and lifetime breast cancer risk; used in chemoprevention decision-making.

Cervical

• USPSTF Cervical Cancer Screening 2018 — 21–29 cytology q3y; 30–65 cytology q3y OR HPV q5y OR co-test q5y.
• ACS Cervical Cancer Screening 2020 — primary HPV starting at 25 (differs from USPSTF; not universally adopted).
• ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines — what to do with an abnormal result.

Colorectal

• USPSTF Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021 — start at 45; multiple modalities (colonoscopy q10y, FIT annual, etc.).
• ACS Colorectal Cancer Screening 2018 — Wolf et al; aligned with USPSTF on age 45 start.
• Multi-Society Task Force on CRC Screening 2017 — ACG/AGA/ASGE; clinical implementation detail.

Lung

• USPSTF Lung Cancer Screening 2021 — annual LDCT 50–80 yr with ≥20 pack-yr smoking history (current or quit within 15 yr).
• NCCN Lung Cancer Screening — extends to broader high-risk groups including family history.

Prostate

• USPSTF Prostate Cancer Screening 2018 — shared decision-making 55–69.
• ACS Prostate Cancer Screening 2010 (reaffirmed) — shared decision-making framework starting earlier for higher-risk groups.

Skin

• USPSTF Skin Cancer Screening 2023 — I-grade (insufficient evidence).
• USPSTF Behavioral Counseling on Sun Protection 2018 — B-grade for fair-skinned individuals 6 mo–24 yr.

Genetic & hereditary

• USPSTF BRCA-Related Cancer Risk Assessment 2019 — screening criteria and referral threshold.
• NCCN Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment — BRCA, Lynch, polyposis syndromes; referral and management.
• Pedigree-based hereditary risk (Tyrer-Cuzick) — breast/ovarian risk including family history.