Screening (medicine)

The purpose of screening is to detect diseases as early as possible, which allows for early initiation of treatment in order to alleviate the condition of patients and reduce mortality. Although screening facilitates early diagnosis, not all screening methods demonstrate a clear benefit. Undesirable effects of screening include the possibility of overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis, and the creation of a false sense of confidence in the absence of disease. For these reasons, screening tests must have sufficient sensitivity and an acceptable level of specificity.

There are mass (universal) screening, which involves all persons from a certain category (for example, all children of the same age) and selective screening, used in risk groups (for example, screening family members in the event of a hereditary disease).

In the USSR and in the post-Soviet countries, the term is also used to refer to screening clinical examination. Since 2013, clinical examination of the entire population Russian Federation will be included in the compulsory health insurance system.

Examples of screening methods

Various screening tests are used to possibly early diagnosis malignant neoplasms. Among the fairly reliable cancer screening tests:

  • Papanicolaou test - to identify potentially precancerous changes and prevent cervical cancer;
  • Mammography - to detect cases of breast cancer;
  • Colonoscopy - to exclude colorectal cancer;
  • Dermatological examination to rule out melanoma.

Medical screening equipment

Medical screening equipment often differs from equipment used in clinical diagnostics. The purpose of screening is only to detect/exclude diseases in clinically asymptomatic individuals, in contrast to the examination of known patients, aimed at assessing the nature and severity of the pathological process. Because of this, screening equipment may be less accurate than diagnostic equipment.

Advantages and disadvantages of screening

Screening has both advantages and disadvantages; the decision about the need for screening is made by weighing these factors.

Advantages

Screening allows us to detect diseases in their early, asymptomatic stages, at which treatment is more effective.

Flaws

Like any other medical research, screening methods are not perfect. Screening results can be either false positive, indicating the presence of a disease that is not actually present, or false negative, indicating no existing disease.

  • Screening requires expenditure on medical resources, given that the majority of individuals examined are found to be healthy;
  • Presence of undesirable effects of screening (anxiety, discomfort, exposure to ionizing radiation or chemical agents);
  • Stress and anxiety caused by a false positive screening result;
  • Unnecessary additional research and treatment of persons with a false positive result;
  • Psychological discomfort caused by earlier knowledge of one’s own illness, especially if cure is impossible;
  • A false sense of security caused by a false negative result, which can delay diagnosis.

Screening principles

The feasibility of introducing population screening is related to a number of issues outlined above. Although some screening tests are not cost-effective, in general mass screenings improve public health. The World Health Organization developed guidelines on screening principles in 1968, which are still relevant today. Key points:

  1. The disease must represent an important medical problem
  2. There must be a treatment for the disease
  3. Opportunities for diagnosing and treating the disease must be available
  4. The disease must have a latent period
  5. There must be a research method for the disease
  6. The research method must be acceptable for use in the population
  7. It is necessary to adequately understand the natural history of the disease
  8. There must be a consistent policy on the need for treatment
  9. The economic costs of case detection must be balanced with overall costs
  10. Screening should be ongoing, not “once and for all”

Notes

Links

  • The Great and Terrible Screening, or How Prenatal Triage Works Article in the magazine “YOUR Gynecologist” No. 8/2010

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

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When a woman is expecting a child, she has to undergo multiple tests and undergo prescribed examinations. Each to the expectant mother Different recommendations may be given. The screening test is the same for everyone. This is what will be discussed in this article.

Screening study

This analysis is prescribed to all expectant mothers, regardless of age and social status. A screening test is carried out three times throughout the pregnancy. In this case, it is necessary to adhere to certain deadlines for taking tests.

Medicine knows screening research methods, which are divided into two types. The first of these is analysis. It determines the possibility of various pathologies in the fetus. The second test is an ultrasound screening test. The evaluation must take into account the results of both methods.

What diseases does the analysis detect?

A screening test during pregnancy is not an accurate way to make a diagnosis. This analysis can only identify predisposition and establish the percentage of risk. To obtain a more detailed result, it is necessary to conduct a screening study of the fetus. It is prescribed only when the risks of possible pathology are very high. So, this analysis can reveal the possibility of the following diseases:

During the examination, the doctor measures the growth of the fetus and notes the location of the placenta. The doctor must also make sure that the child has all limbs. One of the important points is the presence of the nasal bone and it is these points that the doctor will subsequently rely on when deciphering the result.

Second examination

A screening test during pregnancy in this case is also carried out in two ways. First, a woman needs to take a blood test from a vein and only then undergo an ultrasound. It is worth noting that the established time frames for this diagnosis are somewhat different.

Blood test for second screening

In some regions of the country this research is not carried out at all. The only exceptions are those women whose first analysis gave disappointing results. In this case, the most favorable period for donating blood is in the range from 16 to 18 weeks of fetal development.

The test is carried out in the same way as in the first case. The computer processes the data and produces the result.

Ultrasound examination

This examination is recommended between 20 and 22 weeks. It is worth noting that, unlike a blood test, this study is carried out in all medical institutions in the country. At this stage, the height and weight of the fetus are measured. The doctor also examines the organs: the heart, brain, and stomach of the unborn baby. The specialist counts the baby’s fingers and toes. It is also very important to note the condition of the placenta and cervix. In addition, Doppler sonography may be performed. During this examination, the doctor monitors blood flow and notes possible defects.

During the second ultrasound screening, it is necessary to examine the waters. There should be a normal number of them for the given period. There should be no suspensions or impurities inside the membranes.

Third examination

This type of diagnosis is carried out after the most suitable period is 32-34 weeks. It is worth noting that at this stage the blood is no longer examined for defects, but only ultrasound diagnostics are performed.

During the manipulation, the doctor carefully examines the organs of the unborn baby and notes their features. The baby's height and weight are also measured. An important point is normal motor activity during the study. The specialist notes the quantity amniotic fluid and its purity. The protocol must indicate the condition, location and maturity of the placenta.

This ultrasound is in most cases the last one. Only in some cases, re-diagnosis is prescribed before birth. This is why it is so important to note the position of the fetus (head or pelvic) and the absence of umbilical cord entanglement.

Deviations from norms

If during the examination various deviations and errors were identified, the doctor recommends seeing a geneticist. At the appointment, the specialist must take into account all the data (ultrasound, blood and pregnancy characteristics) when making a specific diagnosis.

In most cases possible risks are not a guarantee that the child will be born sick. Often such studies are erroneous, but despite this, doctors may recommend additional studies.

A more detailed analysis is a screening study of the microflora of amniotic fluid or blood from the umbilical cord. It is worth noting that this analysis entails negative consequences. Quite often, after such a study, every woman has the right to refuse such a diagnosis, but in this case, all responsibility falls on her shoulders. Upon confirmation bad results doctors suggest artificial termination of pregnancy and give the woman time to make a decision.

Conclusion

A screening test during pregnancy is a very important test. However, we must not forget that it is not always accurate.

After birth, the child will undergo neonatal screening, which will absolutely accurately show the presence or absence of any disease.

Screening (from the English screening - sifting) is the general name for methods of special checks and examinations used in medicine, biochemistry, and also in business. In medicine, screening means conducting simple and safe tests.large groups of the population in order to identify groups at risk of developing a particular pathology or the risk of its development, based on the use of special diagnostic studies, including testing.This concept is also used in the field of HR management, in the field of personnel selection. (Personnel screening).The optimal option for a primary examination, which makes it possible to identify “problem” children for the purpose of further comprehensive study, is screening diagnostics (from the English screen - “sieve”) (M.P. Vilyansky, 1987; V.I. Lubovsky, 1998, etc. ).

The main characteristics of screening tests are: safety, ease of use, cost and validity.

Over the past 3 years, the Center's specialists have acquired sufficient experience in using the screening method in diagnostic support of schoolchildren, including those with manifestations of school difficulties. In 2010, we conducted the first screening program for the prevention of school failure at Lyceum No. 10, the purpose of which was to study the development of prerequisites for educational activities in first-graders. Perhaps someone is familiar with the E.A. program. Ekzhanova “Diagnostic and prognostic screening in the first grades”, which includes three tests: “Graphic series”, “Points”, “House Tree Man”. Standard quantitative processing is carried out, and conclusions are drawn about the formation of such prerequisites as:the ability to independently analyze a model and act according to the model, exercise self-control in the process of perceptual-motor activity, bring the job started to the end, stop performing an action in time, switch to performing another task. Prerequisites for educational activity also include well-developed visual-spatial perception and developed productive activity. According to the author, the results of such a study at the end of the school year make it possible to judge both the individual dynamics of the child’s development and the general group trends emerging as a result of the training and/or correctional and developmental work.

WITHCenter specialists have compiled a screening program “Psychological portrait junior school student» for the target group - 2nd and 3rd grades.We proceeded from the position that the level of development of UUD prerequisites is one of the indicators of compliance mental development child's age norm or deviations from it.Part of the screening was a program for speech therapy diagnostics of disorders of reproductive written speech. A total of 236 students were examined in 2012. In 2013, we proposed to approve screening of secondary school No. 3. In 2014 - Lyceums No. 10,13 - 150 people. 2015 -Lyceum No. 13, 15, 11 with 395 people. In 2016, a new stage in the implementation of the “Psychological Portrait of a Primary School Student” program began, which will allow us to evaluate the predictive value of screening and adjust the package of diagnostic methods for 3 grades. In total, the screening program covered 879 students in grades 1-3 in the Khimki urban district. These figures indicate a positive trend in the demand for screening studies.

Despite the large number of different techniques used in differential diagnosis, there is a lack of scientifically based and tested diagnostic tools for use in screening examinations (M.K. Akimova, 1997; G.V. Burmenskaya, O.A. Karabanova, A.G. Lider, 1990; A.L. Wenger, 1989;

Screening techniques or assessment tools are very varied and their use depends on the purpose of screening and the specific situation.The development of diagnostic tools should be carried out taking into account the leading activities of the age period, which most fully reflects the level of their mental development.

Screening objectives:

1. Select from the existing arsenal of diagnostic tools the methods most suitable for assessing the studied parameters of the child’s psychological development.

2. Develop the most informative and reliable criteria for qualitative and quantitative assessment of screening tests.

3. Test the developed set of methods in the process of screening examination of schoolchildren. To increase the objectivity of diagnostic data, it is necessary to record not only the result, but also the process of performing test tasks.

4. Check the degree of reliability and validity of diagnostic tools using statistical processing of the results obtained and subsequent psychological, medical and pedagogical examination of children.

By starting to create a scale for quantitative assessment of parameters and taking into account its use in screening diagnostics (identifying “problem” children), we sought to develop a reliable, and, at the same time, convenient and easy-to-use scale of quantitative assessments. The modification of the methods also included the choice of the order of presentation of the experimental material. To determine the order in which experimental material is presented, several proposals have been made. various options, based on increasing or decreasing the degree of “difficulty” of tasks.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results of screening tests made it possible to conditionally identify four groups (ranges) of development of UUD prerequisites.

The first group (9%) is the range of normal development (high age norm). The second group (45%) is the range of normal development (age norm).

The third group (40%) is the range of decrease in the normal development of UUD, “risk group”.

The fourth group (6%) is the qualitative originality of the formation of the prerequisites of the UUD.

Despite significant individual fluctuations in individual indicators, each conditionally identified group had its own structure of mental development, and the third and fourth also had a system of deviations and shortcomings characteristic of them.

Students included in the third and fourth groups were identified as “problematic”.

The Center has developed and tested psychological health screening for schoolchildren using computer tests. We use the following tools when working with teenagers:

1. Questionnaire for diagnosing the type of personal identity of a teenager

2. Assessment of medical history

3. Semi-structured interview

4.Functional tests, including using computer programs

Currently, the word “monitoring” in relation to the educational process has become commonly used, but, unfortunately, not unambiguous. On the one hand, the need for analytical information about the education system is very high and education authorities are extremely interested in obtaining an objective picture, because this makes it possible to make more effective management decisions. On the other hand, today there is no common understanding of what psychological monitoring is in the education system: monitoring studies today call anything - from ranking students, frontal cross-sectional diagnostics of the development of mental functions, to counting the number of psychologists in educational institutions.

Meanwhile, in the regions there is experience in conducting “psychological monitoring” in its precise meaning. For example, the development of the Moscow education system is carried out in the mode of organizational and pedagogical design. Comprehensive development programs, united under the general name “Capital Education”, involve the development and implementation innovative technologies, new approaches to the content of education, organization of the educational process and socio-psychological support for its participants, which is based on the prevention of current problems of development and adaptation of students. Special attention is devoted to the design of educational environments and support situations for students experiencing various learning difficulties, social adaptation and psychological development.

Meanwhile, at present, neither psychologists (practitioners, researchers) nor managers in the field of education have scientifically based, statistically reliable information about social psychological state child population in Moscow, the most pressing problems and tasks of student development educational institutions various types and levels. The most important role Psychological monitoring of development plays a role in the implementation of such analytical and design activities.

Word « monitoring" comes from the Latin word "monitor" - translated means reminding or warning. The concept of “monitoring” can be considered both as a method of studying reality, used in various sciences, and as a way of providing management with timely and high-quality information about the state of the system and the processes occurring in it.

In the scientific literature of the 80s of the XX century, the concept of monitoring most generally refers to various “observation activities”, “a system of repeated, targeted observations” or “methodology and system of observations”. In all definitions, the key word is the word “observation”. Later, in a later period, observation is replaced by “control with periodic tracking” or “the process of tracking information on the system under study.” At the moment, the following definition of monitoring seems to be the most accurate and universal:

Monitoring- This is a multi-level, hierarchical system of organization, collection, storage, processing and dissemination of information about the system being examined or its individual elements, focused on information support for management, which allows one to judge the state of the monitored object at any time and can provide a forecast of its development.

Monitoring can be considered as an informational, diagnostic, scientific, prognostic system, the implementation of which is carried out within the framework of management activities. Information collected during the monitoring process serves management purposes and improves the efficiency of management decisions . With all the diversity, one can highlight a single monitoring component is its focus on management decisions.

The use of monitoring in psychology began relatively recently. According to the definition of A.A. Orlova, psychological monitoring reveals trends and patterns of psychological development of certain groups of people. The subject of psychological monitoring, for example, can be the psychological readiness of children for schooling, the dynamics of professional and personal self-determination, the dynamics of changes in a certain age or professional group, the functioning and development of mental processes, etc.

Psychological monitoring is a special type of monitoring. It is important to consider the subject of monitoring not the psychological development child, but the educational conditions that determine the developmental nature of education, or the socio-psychological risks that exist in the educational environment. It seems unlikely that a management decision can have a purposeful impact on the human psyche. Psychological monitoring of development is a comprehensive program that allows you to quickly provide information about the psychological state of children school age, actual and potential problems of their development for the purpose of forecasting, correction and management within a certain educational system (for example, a school or other educational institution).

With the help of monitoring, attempts are made to answer questions about the effectiveness of a particular teaching technology, identify factors influencing learning, prove the dependence of the teacher’s qualifications and student learning outcomes, and others. At the same time, it is necessary to note a number of significant shortcomings in the preparation and conduct of monitoring studies, in particular, the incorrect use of psychological tools, exaggeration of the importance of the computer version of testing, insufficient assessment of social factors, lack of standards and legal framework.

Depending on the bases that can be used for comparison, there are various types monitoring: dynamic, comparative, comprehensive, informational, problematic, basic, etc.

To determine indicators for monitoring socio-psychological problems of development, learning and adaptation of Moscow schoolchildren, three main methodological approaches were considered:

    The first approach is monitoring, focused on the model of the child’s normative development at different age stages.

    The second approach is monitoring, focused on the main parameters of the student’s psychological and pedagogical status.

    The third approach is monitoring, focused on current public and managerial requests.

The first was assessed as the most attractive and evidence-based approach to defining meaningful monitoring parameters. However, at present, its implementation in the monitoring version is extremely difficult for several reasons:

    lack of unity in the understanding of standards age development in scientific psychology;

    lack of necessary diagnostic tools;

    lack of measurement procedures that meet monitoring requirements.

Therefore, the main emphasis was placed on the second of the considered approaches. The psychological and pedagogical status of a student is a set of characteristics of his cognitive, psychosocial and psychophysiological development that influence the success of learning and socialization in a specific socio-pedagogical environment. The totality of these characteristics can be presented as a certain integrity, reflecting, on the one hand, the main vectors of the child’s development, and on the other hand, having a pronounced applied (and, therefore, managerial) nature. While developing this approach, we identified a number of parameters of psychological and pedagogical status that formed the basis for the monitoring content.

To determine the current request (third approach), we conducted an express survey of 100 directors and psychologists of educational institutions in Moscow and identified topical issues for potential monitoring research and significant indicators. This material allowed us to determine specific indicators monitoring study within the framework of the previously identified parameters of psychological and pedagogical status.

At the same time, we took into account the peculiarities of the social situation of development, examining the following characteristics of the educational environment: safety and psychosocial risk factors. When choosing diagnostic material to study the level of psychosocial development of a schoolchild, we sought to create a battery of tests that meets the following requirements: compactness, minimum time for completion, and the ability to answer a wide range of questions related to the development of schoolchildren.

All methods are collected in test notebooks. The procedure was clearly laid out for execution. It should be noted that the survey procedure is an independent and separate task when developing technology for conducting a monitoring study. It is prescribed in the sequence and regulations, tested on a small sample and adjusted. A special training seminar on the examination procedure is held with all specialists conducting the examination. In accordance with the conceptual scheme, the methodological apparatus, organizational and mathematical models of monitoring were developed.

Psychological monitoring data allows us to give an up-to-date assessment of the psychological changes occurring in the educational environment and trends in its development. Continuous psychological monitoring can become a serious basis for further analytical and design activities of the service of practical educational psychology. Based on its data (especially in combination with data from existing monitoring), it is possible to deepen our psychological understanding of various groups and contingents of students, the specifics of their development in different educational environments, the criteria for psychological assessment of the quality of education, and determine the prospects for the development of the psychological service of education and education itself .

Based on the current tasks of educational development, we consider it necessary to conduct large-scale monitoring of the Service for Practical Educational Psychology, as a tool for support and psychological support for participants in the educational process, in order to assess the effectiveness of its activities.

Screening examination: what is it and for what purpose is it performed? People ask this question often. Many have heard about the concept of screening and consider it necessary for expectant mothers. This type of test is also used for children and sometimes for men. You can understand the essence of the test by studying the procedure and types of screening.

What does screening mean?

Screening refers to a medical examination of people who do not complain about their health; the goal is to identify diseases. This type of examination is carried out in most budgetary institutions, and in most cases free of charge. To undergo a screening examination, you must be assigned to a clinic.

This testing method allows pathologies to be detected at an early stage and increases the likelihood of disease prevention.

The study allows us to identify diseases such as:

  • in men as well as women;
  • glaucoma;
  • neoplasms;
  • pathologies of the circulatory system;
  • hepatitis.

These are just the main areas that screening studies reveal. There are a number of other diseases that are also detected by this method.

There is mass screening and random screening. Typically, a sample survey concerns only one family or group of people where there is a risk of contracting a particular disease.

This type of study reveals the presence of the disease at a stage when symptoms do not yet make themselves felt.

Screening examination during pregnancy

If checking the health of the population is a new program and only those who want to undergo it, then for expectant mothers, identifying the presence of pathologies is extremely important. Many pregnant women have doubts about a screening examination, not knowing what it is and how to prepare for it.

A comprehensive check includes examinations using an ultrasound diagnostic device and blood tests. Based on them, the length of the fetus, the period from conception to examination, and the presence of abnormalities in the baby are determined.

One of the important components of screening surveillance is the first check at the beginning of pregnancy.

First screening: what is it?

The first check is important for the expectant mother, as it confirms the presence of pregnancy. During this period, doctors try to identify deviations of the following nature:

  1. Checking the length of the nose, since in those children who develop with deviations, the bones form later.
  2. Checking the gall sac and the number of heartbeats. This indicates the viability of the child.
  3. The condition of the neck fold, which often indicates developmental abnormalities, is kept under control.
  4. The state of blood flow to the fetus.
  5. Head size is also important for diagnosis.
  6. Checking the gestational age according to the table.

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Important! Deviations identified during the first screening should not give cause for concern. If abnormal development is suspected, the woman will be examined more intensively and a final diagnosis will be given.


The examination is carried out both transvaginally and through abdominal wall. Since the first method of examining the fetus is more informative, it is used in early stages pregnancy.

The second stage of screening consists of a detailed biochemical blood test. It is important to note that the expectant mother donates blood only after undergoing an ultrasound, where a specialist determines the gestational age.

The tests assessed in such a study are hCG, a hormone that indicates the presence of pregnancy, and protein-A, which shows the state of the placenta and the woman’s immunity.

After three studies, the doctor displays the MoM index, which also consists of such indicators as:

  • mother's age;
  • presence of bad habits;
  • previous pregnancies.

The doctor prescribes two screenings. If the patient has reasons to undergo the third screening stage, for example, age, over 35 years or health indicators, then she will be examined again.

Second screening

Second screening examination, what is it and why should all expectant mothers do it?

In mid-pregnancy, a woman is tested using a third screening method. The purpose of this examination is to identify the child's position.

As with the first ultrasound screening, the size of the baby’s nasal bone and other indicators of the child are determined.


The pregnant woman is also given close attention. A gynecologist is examining her. This applies to identifying swelling and excluding excess weight, which complicate the period of gestation.

The cervix and uterine walls are examined for the presence of pathological and inflammatory processes, which also affects the condition of the expectant mother.

During this period, three test indicators are looked at and compared with norms: AFP (fetal serum protein) and estriol.

HCG is checked using a special table, where the indicators correspond to the period of gestation. If the result obtained is different from the norm, then there is a possibility of miscarriage. Therefore, if doubt arises, the result will be shown to the gynecologist and other specialists examining the condition of the expectant mother.

Estriol is also compared with the values ​​​​from the table. This hormone shows the condition of the fetus' liver and its mother's placenta. Subsequently, this hormone takes part in the formation of ducts for the passage of milk for feeding.

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AFP analysis is done to check the following factor: whether the child is producing protein correctly or not.

Third screening

If the tests are favorable and there are no complaints, the expectant mother does not pass the third test. The next stage is screening the baby after birth.

In case of obvious pathologies and test results that differ from the norm, the woman is recommended to undergo a third screening, which reveals the condition of the placenta and the position of the fetus.

Video

The difference between screening and ultrasound

A perinatal screening study involves examining all pregnant women, and this rule does not depend on the patient’s health.

At first glance, it may seem that there are no differences between ultrasound and screening, since both studies are carried out on the same device. The difference is in the approach to the research method and the decoding method. Screening takes into account not only ultrasound diagnostic indicators, but also biochemical blood tests.

The first test consists of an ultrasound examination and testing for two hormones, and the second test consists of an ultrasound examination and obtaining the results of three hormones.

Important! An ordinary ultrasound examination shows the condition of the expectant mother's organ, not the fetus.

These two studies pose different challenges.

Mammography screening

Every woman should undergo a mammography examination. This will allow you to identify changes and lumps in the breast, as well as begin timely treatment.

Women are advised to conduct diagnostic self-examinations at home and identify small lumps, and then contact a mammologist. Many people forget about this procedure, so doctors urge you to remember the annual examination.

Examinations are carried out in medical institutions. Most often, this issue is dealt with by a mammologist or gynecologist.

Mammography, performed using a special device, is similar to fluorography, but the focus is not rib cage, and the mammary glands of a woman.

During the study, the woman undresses and presses her chest against the device, after which the laboratory assistant takes a picture. Subsequently, the result obtained is transferred to a mammologist or therapist, who interprets it.

This method has many positive feedback, but some experts have noticed that the reliability of the method is about 20%. Subsequently, patients receive false positive result and nerve disorders, and the painful biopsy causes physical pain.

In addition, the radiation used when taking an image affects the mammary glands and, with frequent examinations, can lead to oncology that occurs in the breast area.

Many patients, for the reasons listed above, refuse such a study, but doctors strongly advise not to forget about the annual examination, which brings only benefit and not harm.

One part of the device fixes electric fields, being on the patient’s chest and back, and the second is designed to record changes in electric fields.

The second method is ultrasound diagnostics. The patient is guided with a sensor in the area of ​​the heart, and the doctor sees an image on the screen. When assessing the image, the specialist compares the dynamics and parameters of the heart with the norm.

Irregular rhythm and thinning of tissue indicate disturbances in the heart area.

Sometimes the heart is examined through the esophagus. This examination is more informative than identifying an image using a sensor, but it causes discomfort for the patient.

Muscles absorb radiation from the sensor, and bones are a kind of obstacle that prevents you from getting the full result.

Since ultrasound has a small penetration radius, examination through the transesophageal route is recommended for people suffering from excess weight.

Diagnosis is carried out on an empty stomach, which avoids the gag reflex.

Advantages of screening diagnostics

The advantages of diagnostics performed in the form of a screening study are obvious. This method contributes to the timely detection of disorders and the prompt prescription of competent therapy to eliminate the pathological process.

By examining the heart, chest, and other organs, people can gain information about their body's health and begin therapeutic interventions.

Identification of diseases at the initial stages of their development leads to the possibility of their successful cure if modern and qualified treatment is applied.

Conclusion

Screening examination, what is it?

This - modern method examinations aimed at identifying diseases, both for pregnant women and other people. Regular medical examination can find diseases that will be further studied by the attending physician. The medical specialist will prescribe qualified treatment and carry out therapeutic measures for the patient.

Health is the most important component of active longevity and a fruitful life for every conscious person. One of the main and undeniable achievements of modern domestic healthcare is prevention.

In the Russian Federation, more than 500 thousand new cases of cancer are registered annually. Unfortunately, more than 60% of them are diagnosed in late stages. This is due to the fact that residents of the country are not sufficiently informed about the availability of free screening programs.

Screening is the mass implementation of specialized instrumental and laboratory research methods for people who are at risk for certain cancer diseases and who do not yet have any symptoms. Diagnostic measures are designed to exclude the most common tumors of certain locations and nosologies.

Who is at risk:

  • smokers with more than 10 years of experience and passive smokers with more than 20 years of experience. Children are especially susceptible to secondhand smoke;
  • people who abuse alcohol;
  • people who are obese and lead a sedentary lifestyle;
  • patients with chronic viral and bacterial carriage;
  • patients with chronic inflammatory diseases;
  • people living in unfavorable environmental conditions;
  • people whose blood relatives had cancer;
  • those who are employed in professions associated with exposure to carcinogenic substances and radiation;
  • people experiencing chronic stress and sleep deficiency;
  • patients with immunodeficiency;
  • people whose genome has mutations associated with cancer.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that a general blood test, and especially a blood test for tumor markers, are not screening methods for diagnosing cancer. It is necessary to distinguish screening from early diagnosis.

Early diagnosis– this is the identification of diseases in people who themselves sought medical help after the appearance of complaints and symptoms of cancer. Screening programs are carried out taking into account their feasibility for those forms of cancer that are important issue health care of a country or region, due to high morbidity and mortality from them. They are carried out not at the patient’s own request, but on the recommendation of medical personnel. Regular medical examinations allow you to begin comprehensive prevention of cancer diseases in a timely manner, and if they are detected, deal with them in a timely manner.

Basic screening methods:

  • medical interview (questionnaire) and examination;
  • laboratory tests (examination of tissues, urine, blood, feces);
  • methods of medical instrumental visualization (examinations that allow you to get a picture of internal organs);
  • genetic studies aimed at identifying mutations that can lead to the development of tumors.

Purpose of the survey:

  • find the tumor before any symptoms appear;
  • detect those types of cancer that respond well to treatment if diagnosed at an early stage;
  • reduce cancer mortality.

Breast cancer screening

Women under the age of 40 undergo an ultrasound examination of the mammary glands and regional lymph nodes once a year. After 40 years, the density of breast tissue increases and mammography is the method of choice. If you have a blood relative with breast or ovarian cancer, it is advisable to perform genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2.

Cervical cancer screening

During screening, several tests are performed at once. Most often, to make an accurate diagnosis, doctors examine a Pap smear from the cervix. In addition, there are several additional screening tests - VIA, VILI, HPV.

One of the reasons for the occurrence of pathology is. However, the papilloma virus can affect even virgins and very young girls. Such studies confirm that the disease is not transmitted only through sexual contact, which means that screening should be done for all representatives of the fair sex.

American gynecologists recommend having a smear test for cervical cancer screening once a year. Patients over 18 years of age must undergo the procedure. If the first 2 studies were successful and no HPV was detected, the frequency of the survey can be reduced to once every 2 years.

Lung cancer screening

It is used as a screening test for men with a smoking history of more than 20 years in the age group from 55 to 74 years.

Screening for gastrointestinal cancer

For the diagnosis of tumors located in the upper and lower sections gastrointestinal tract, endoscopic research methods are used, such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy. In the stomach, most forms of cancer develop against the background of precancerous diseases, the most common of which is atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia.

In the colon, about 80% of tumors develop from adenomatous polyps, which grow for at least 2-3 years before they turn into a malignant tumor. Screening endoscopic examinations of the gastrointestinal tract are performed after 50 years.

Liver cancer screening

To screen for liver cancer at a high risk of developing it, determination of alpha-fetoprotein in the blood is used in conjunction with ultrasound.

Prostate cancer screening

A blood test for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is prescribed together with a thorough digital examination.

Skin cancer

To screen for skin tumors in people at high risk of cancer, regular examination by a dermatologist with mandatory dermatoscopy is used. Changes in the shape and color of moles, the appearance of new formations or ulcerations on the skin are reasons to consult a doctor.