Consumer Reports Now Grading Cancer Screening Tests

Consumer Reports have been the go-to-guide for shoppers when they buying anything from a car to a stroller and now consumers can also get ratings of cancer screening tests.

The Consumer Report, published by the non-profit Consumers Union, independently purchases products and then reviews and performs extensive real-world tests in order to give a report on the efficiency of the product.

Now, they are tackling cancer screening tests, helping to separate those that are truly valuable and effective from those that do little more than maintain the bottom line of the companies that sell them.

Consumer Reports gave their most positive ratings for cervical cancer screening in women age 21 to 65 and colon cancer screening in people age 50 to 75. They gave a slightly less enthusiastic endorsement of breast cancer screening for women 50 to 74.

 "The marketing message that early detection saves lives is simple and compelling," says Laura Nikolaides, M.S., director of research and quality-care programs at the National Breast Cancer Coalition. "But the reality as we understand it today is much more nuanced. The problem is how to get that more complex message to the public when it's so different than what they've come to believe."

"For this investigation, we pored over reams of research, consulted medical experts, surveyed more than 10,000 readers, and talked with patients. We found that too many people are getting tests they don't need or understand, and too few are getting those that could save their lives. Many patients, and even some doctors, can be confused by cancer screening."