General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
Screening looks for disease before symptoms appear, in a defined population. To understand the offer, ask which disease is being sought, which test is used and why it is being offered to you.
A false positive incorrectly indicates disease; a false negative misses disease that is present. These limitations depend on the test. The result needs explanation within the arrangements for that screening.
A positive or suspicious result requires confirmatory examinations through the planned pathway. Ask from the outset how results will be communicated and which verification step would follow an abnormal result.
Overdiagnosis means finding a genuine lesion that would never have progressed to symptomatic disease during the person’s lifetime. It can lead to examinations or treatment the person would not have needed.
Consequences vary between screening tests. For prostate cancer, Assurance Maladie explains that treating a cancer that would have remained silent can cause urinary, sexual or bowel problems. This example does not describe every test.
Before deciding, ask about the expected benefits, the test’s limitations and the possible consequences of subsequent examinations and treatment. Complete information supports discussing your choice with the professional offering screening.
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