Screening examinations (screening) are defined as diagnostic actions performed among healthy people, but being in group of high risk of tumour (i.e. in some age groups). Their aim is an early detection of tumour or even precancerogenic state.

Good screening test should possess proper features, where the basic are high sensitivity and specificity. Sensitivity it is the ability to detect tumour – the higher this ability is, the smaller number of tumours remain undetected (false negative results). Specificity is a feature of ability to detect healthy people – the higher it is the smaller number of healthy people is identified as ill (false positive results).

Screening examinations will succeed if are carried out among possibly the biggest group of people from the high risk group and – what is important - by many years. For realisation of this aim each year the proper funds and social conscience that these tests should be performed regularly, are necessary.

Screening has sense only with reference to the tumours of big frequency of occurence in population, for which the effective method of treatment exists. Search on a wide scale of rarely occurring tumour would generate giant costs with incommensurable small social profits. Decrease of mortality would be small, however money, which could be used in treatment of many different diseases, could be spend. The same concerns tumours, for which no effective medical procedures exist. What does their detection give, if the disease cannot be treated?

Cost is important factor limiting screening examinations. It is clearly seen in comparing recommendations of American and European Oncology Association. However rash conclusions should not be drawn, because results of continuously led researches evaluating specific methods not always confirm the advisability of more frequent and expensive screening examinations.

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