Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month
April is Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month. It reminds everyone of the importance of routine cancer screenings. To help you take action, the Prevent Cancer Foundation has cancer screening resources you can use to learn the screenings you need, support the Foundation’s work, and raise awareness to stay ahead of cancer. This is vital because . . .
Routine medical appointments and cancer screenings head in the wrong direction
There’s been a change in how often U.S. adults are going to routine medical appointments and cancer screenings, and according to the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 2025 Early Detection Survey, we’re moving in the wrong direction. The survey revealed just 51% of U.S. adults 21 years of age and older say they have had a routine medical appointment or routine cancer screening in the last year.1 This is a 10-percentage point drop from the 2024 survey.
Other routine screenings trail behind mammograms
Survey participants had the highest screening rates for and the greatest awareness of breast cancer, with 65% of women 40 years of age and older reporting they are up to date on their routine breast cancer screening and 66% of U.S. adults reporting they are familiar with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Other cancer types saw much lower reports of completed screening, including only 32% of men reporting they are up to date on their testicular cancer checks and just 36% of adults reporting they are up to date on their skin cancer checks.
Early Detection = Better Outcomes®
The Prevent Cancer Foundation wants all people to know that getting screened for cancer (even when you feel fine!) can lead to better health outcomes. Routine cancer screenings before you have any signs or symptoms of disease can lead to more treatment options, more healthy days ahead and more time with the people you love.
Staying ahead of cancer—without the fear
This year’s Early Detection Survey also revealed an essential truth: Despite advancements in prevention and early detection, we still fear hearing the words, “You have cancer.” According to results, 73% of U.S. adults worry when thinking about cancer screenings. More than 36% worry about the possibility of finding out they have cancer, and of that group, 39% believe that a cancer diagnosis is usually a death sentence.
If you are someone who has put off a routine screening from fear of a diagnosis, you are not alone. But if you’re going to receive a diagnosis, it is better to get it early because early detection equals better outcomes. The Prevent Cancer Foundation’s goal is to arm people with the information they need so they can feel empowered—not scared—to check their health. So stay ahead of cancer and arm yourself with resources from The Prevent Cancer Foundation now.