Investigators have found that a large proportion of U.S. adults are behind on their cancer screenings, according to a new survey from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).
Survey Methods and Findings
In the Survivor Views Special Report: National Screening Survey, investigators collected data from 1,000 adults aged 45 years and older across the United States online between April 25 and 28, 2025—with demographic and regional distribution proportionate to the population. Differences reported between the groups were tested for statistical significance at a 95% confidence interval.
The investigators discovered that 31% of the participants were over 1 year behind on their cancer screenings; 53% cited out-of-pocket costs as a barrier to getting screened, while another 47% shared that obtaining insurance approvals for covered screenings was of concern.
Conclusions
“Out-of-pocket costs can significantly hinder individuals from accessing essential cancer screening leading to delayed diagnoses and poorer health outcomes,” said Lisa Lacasse, MBA, President of the ACS CAN. “To ensure equitable health care, it is crucial for policymakers to increase access to no-cost or low-cost cancer screening programs through expanded insurance coverage, community outreach, and public health initiatives,” she underscored.
The findings were discussed among policy experts as part of ACS CAN’s National Policy Forum in Washington, DC. The experts determined the importance of identifying payment and cost barriers and eliminating roadblocks to improve patient access and encourage more investment in new screening and early detection modalities and interventions.
“The [Trump Administration’s] recent budget proposal eliminates the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control housed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been instrumental in cancer prevention and detection, providing over 16.3 million screening exams to more than 6.3 million eligible [patients] through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program,” emphasized Ms. Lacasse. “That’s why it is critical for Congress to use the power of the purse to safeguard our national investments in prevention and early detection,” she concluded.
To view the full survey findings, visit fightcancer.org.
