Cancer screening programmes have become routine practice throughout the developed world -- aiming to detect the presence of the disease prior to the manifestation of symptoms, and to increase the likelihood of successful treatment. Naturally, these programmes require regular monitoring to ensure that screening quality is maintained, and to advance the early-warning system as much as possible. Quantitative Methods for the Evaluation of Cancer Screening is a professional title designed to provide the researchers of these screening programmes with up-to-date methods and tools for improving evaluation. The book presents an introduction to cancer screening and to the methods that are employed for its monitoring, followed by an in-depth account of the more complicated modelling approaches. Each chapter is written by an international expert in the field, and imparts practical specialist information that the reader can apply to the evaluation of their own programmes. Case studies illustrate the methods in practice and provide further illumination of the fields of breast, cervix, large bowel, and neuroblastoma screening.
Indice testuale
Part 1 Fundamentals: introduction and brief history of evaluation techniques in cancer; estimating the efficiency of screening in a randomised trial setting; important influences on effectiveness and costs to be considered in evaluation of cancer screening. Part 2 Modelling approaches and results: evaluating period cancer screening without a randomised control group- a simplified design and analysis; Markov chain models of breast tumour progression and its arrest by screening; importance of metastases at diagnosis in evaluating a population of breast cancer patients; prediction of the effect of screening on mortality, with reference to screening frequency. Part 3 Principles of monitoring service screening: screening evaluation and monitoring; use of routine data to monitor and evaluate cancer screening; interpretation of the effect of population screening using routine incidence and mortality data; optimal use of pap smear screening for cervical cancer. Part 4 Case studies and problem solving: early evaluation of a breast cancer screening programme in Florence; assessment of a colorectal cancer screening programme taking account of the natural history of the disease; screening for neuroblastoma in children - insight gained from the modelling of various screening strategies.
