screening

Definition of screening

screening (SKREE-ning): Checking for disease when there are no symptoms. Since screening may find diseases at an early stage, there may be a better chance of curing the disease. Examples of cancer screening tests are the mammogram (for breast cancer), colonoscopy (for colon cancer), and the Pap test and HPV tests (for cervical cancer). Screening can also include doing a genetic test to check for a person’s risk of developing an inherited disease.

Source: NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms