Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

screening test

(SKREE-ning …)
A test that checks for a disease or condition before symptoms appear. Screening tests may help find diseases at an early stage, when they may be easier to treat or cure. Examples of cancer screening tests include mammography (for breast cancer), colonoscopy (for colorectal cancer), and Pap tests and HPV tests (for cervical cancer). Screening tests may also include genetic tests to look for changes in genes or chromosomes. These changes may be a sign that a person has or is at risk of developing a specific disease or condition.
More Information
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms