Introducing the community guide's reviews of evidence on interventions to increase screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers.

ancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., causing approximately one in every four deaths. In 2003, more than 556,000 Amercans died of cancer. Among men, the majority of hese deaths were due to lung (31%), prostate (10%), nd colorectal cancers (10%). Among women, most eaths were from lung (25%), breast (15%), and olorectal cancers (10%), with an additional 1% from ervical cancers. For breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers, routine creening is recommended by the U.S. Preventive Serices Task Force (USPSTF)—an independent panel f experts in primary care and prevention that systemtically reviews evidence of effectiveness—and by most ajor medical organizations. Screening recommendaions from the USPSTF for breast, cervical, and coloectal cancers are shown in Table 1. A 2003 report from he National Cancer Policy Board noted that screening ll eligible people not currently screened with USPSTFecommended mammography, Pap smears, and coloectal cancer screening tests could prevent an addiional 4475 deaths from breast cancer, 3644 deaths rom cervical cancer, and 9632 deaths from colorectal ancer per year. At present, the USPSTF does not ecommend screening for lung and prostate cancers ecause no convincing evidence shows that benefits utweigh harms. Unfortunately, not all eligible people are screened. he 2005 National Health Interview Survey of U.S.