Dr. Markman Discusses the Importance of Screening

Maurie Markman, MD the National Director for Medical Oncology for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America discusses the importance of screening studies.

Dr. Markman says screening studies are important. With screening, a cancer can be detected before it develops, or be found at an earlier point in the natural history so that a cure is obtained in a higher percentage of patients (or the same percentage of patients but with less morbid procedures needing to be done). Dr. Markman adds that screening studies are also the most difficult because they are looking for people who don't present with obvious symptoms of cancer, which means larger populations need to be followed for longer periods of time. When results from large screening studies are seen (whether they're prospective or retrospective), Dr. Markman says physicians should take note and study them in great detail.