To save American lives from cancer, we must meet patients where they are

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This April, during National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month, we must talk plainly about a truth that physicians know and patients need to hear: cancer screening saves lives. As a pathologist whose research has focused on diseases of the breast and gynecologic system, I have spent my career studying how early detection transforms outcomes for patients and how delayed diagnosis costs lives.

The numbers across our nation are sobering.

The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2026 alone, 2.1 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer, with the five most common cancers representing a significant share of this burden.

Breast cancer alone will account for more than 324,000 new cases, with early-stage diagnoses offering a five-year survival rate of about 92%. Prostate cancer will affect roughly 333,000 men, and while survival is nearly 100% when caught early, it drops to just 38% once the disease has spread. Lung cancer continues to be the deadliest, expected to cause more deaths than colorectal and pancreatic cancers combined, with an overall survival rate of only 28% due largely to late detection. Colorectal cancer will impact approximately 158,000 Americans, with a 91% survival rate when found early, which plummets to 15% in advanced stages. Melanoma also underscores the importance of screening, with survival rates around 95% when detected early.

These are not marginal differences; they are the margins between life and death. Yet we are failing to close the screening gap. More than 75% of the people who die from colorectal cancer were not up to date with their recommended screening. In breast cancer, disparities persist, with death rates remaining significantly higher in Black women despite lower incidence rates. Many of these deaths are preventable.

As physicians, we have the tools, but we are often constrained by something more fundamental than science: access. More than one in three eligible Americans are not up to date with colorectal cancer screening because traditional methods feel inconvenient or unpleasant. Many people skip screening altogether because they cannot take time off work or face logistical barriers that make prevention feel impossible.

Americans deserve better options in screening that fit into their lives, not tests that require their lives to pause. Innovation is beginning to address this gap. Guardant Health’s Shield blood test, the first and only FDA-approved blood test for primary colorectal cancer screening for those 45 and older at average risk, represents a quicker and easier option. It is just a blood draw, which is something that can be done during a routine visit with a primary care physician, without invasive procedures or difficult preparation.

Removing barriers is critical. When patients have easier options, more people complete screenings. When cancers are caught early, survival rates improve dramatically. Access to all screening methods is the key to closing the gaps we see across the nation.

But innovation alone is only half the battle. We must ensure that patients are aware of their options and that physicians are empowered to offer them as this is the bridge that turns medical advances into real-world impact. Without a concerted effort to meet patients where they are, even the most promising tools will fall short.

National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month is a moment to recommit ourselves to this truth: we can lower the number of cancer deaths by ensuring every American is up to date on their screenings. Screening is not an inconvenience; it is the most powerful weapon we have. This April, let us use it.

Eric Wargotz, M.D., FCAP, is President, MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society; and Clinical Professor Emeritus of Pathology at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.