How Guidelines Are Developed
Since 1980, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has introduced and periodically updated guidelines or guidance related to screening and/or informed decision-making about tests for early detection of cancers (and, in some cases, the detection and possible removal of precursor lesions) of the breast, cervix, colon and rectum, lung, and prostate. These screening guidelines evolve with new scientific data, as new screening technologies become available, and as standards for creating guidelines change.
In 2011, the ACS made adjustments to its process for creating cancer screening guidelines and incorporated policies and practices to be more consistent with the Institute of Medicine/National Academies standards and published their results: JAMA: New American Cancer Society Process for Creating Trustworthy Cancer Screening Guidelines.
For more information on the ACS guidelines development process, contact us at ACS.Guidelines@cancer.org.
