ABSTRACT
A review of the sociological literature is provided from 79 works referring to screening for cancer and prenatal and neonatal genetic screening were excluded. Screening involves monitoring apparently healthy populations to track a certain condition. Screening reversed the traditional conception of understanding about diseases by lowering disease definition thresholds and breaking the traditional medical distinction between the sick and the healthy. Clinical practice began to look for diseases in asymptomatic people and thus also modified the behavior of the patients, who became responsible for the care of themselves.
KEYWORDS
Mass screening; Neoplasms; Review; Sociological factors