Which health checks are genuinely worthwhile and which are a waste of money?
Cervical cancer screening (ages 21-65) and lung cancer screening (ages 50-80, 20+ pack-years) have the strongest evidence base and are worthwhile. PSA screening is a personal trade-off: the benefit is small and the side effects of overtreatment are measurable.
Cervical cancer screening is the best-supported check that exists. Women aged 21 to 65 demonstrably lower their risk: a smear test every three years, or an HPV test every five years. In the United States, mortality fell as a result from 2.8 to 2.3 per 100,000 women. Screening below age 21 or above age 65 offers no benefit and can in fact cause harm through unnecessary follow-up investigations. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) therefore explicitly advises against it.
Lung cancer screening via low-dose CT scan is worthwhile, but only for people aged 50 to 80 who smoke or have smoked with at least 20 pack-years. For that high-risk group there is sufficient evidence that annual screening reduces the chance of dying from lung cancer. For people who have never smoked or have smoked very little, broad lung cancer screening is not what the guidelines recommend.
PSA screening for prostate cancer is the most controversial check. Five large studies involving more than 721,000 men show that PSA screening probably has no effect on overall mortality. The benefit for prostate-cancer-specific mortality is small: in the most favourable estimate, 1 fewer man per 1,000 screened dies over ten years. But the harm side is real: per 1,000 men screened, modelling estimates that approximately 1 man is hospitalised due to a serious infection after biopsy, 3 men develop urinary incontinence, and 25 men develop erectile dysfunction as a result of overtreatment of non-dangerous tumours. This is not a simple choice; discuss it with your doctor.
Oral cancer screening via visual inspection is cost-effective in high-risk groups such as heavy smokers and heavy drinkers. For the general population only one large study is available, and the evidence that screening leads to lower mortality is weak and contradictory. The USPSTF therefore does not yet recommend population-wide oral cancer screening.
In the area of breast cancer, recent research shows that an AI tool can, following a negative mammogram, select the seven percent of women with the highest risk for additional MRI, thereby detecting more breast cancers. Routine MRI for all women is not feasible due to costs and staff shortages. Promising, therefore, but not yet widely implemented.
The claims are based on multiple large studies, including a synthesis of 5 studies on PSA involving more than 721,000 men, guidelines from the USPSTF and the American Cancer Society, and modelling-based cost-effectiveness research. The evidence for cervical cancer screening is the strongest; for oral cancer screening and AI-driven MRI selection the evidence is moderate to limited.
Is a full-body MRI scan worthwhile as a preventive measure?
For healthy people without elevated risk, the added value of a full-body MRI has not yet been proven: many detected abnormalities are benign and we do not know whether early detection actually saves lives. If you are still considering it, discuss the pros and cons with your doctor first.
Which cancer screenings are worthwhile, and from what age?
Colorectal cancer screening from age 50 and mammography from age 40 have the best evidence base for the average person; lung cancer screening is only relevant if you have a heavy smoking history. Other screenings are only worthwhile in the presence of specific risk factors or inherited conditions.
Is breast cancer screening worth it?
Participating in breast cancer screening may offer a small benefit, but the chance of unnecessary treatment or a false-positive result is real. Consider what matters most to you, and discuss it with your GP if you are unsure.
Does bowel cancer screening really help (fewer deaths)?
For people between 45 and 75 with an average risk, bowel cancer screening is worthwhile and widely recommended. It demonstrably lowers the chance of developing bowel cancer, although the evidence for reducing deaths in the short term is less definitive than previously thought.
Is red and processed meat really bad for me?
Yes, and this applies above all to processed meat: the association with colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease is solid enough that eating less of it is a practical step for your health.
Should I, as a man, be tested for prostate cancer with the PSA test?
Whether the PSA test is worthwhile depends on your personal risk. Men aged 55 to 69 with an elevated risk, such as a family history or Black background, have the most reason to discuss this with their GP.