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Cancer > Cancer Screening > Mass Media
Client-oriented Cancer Screening Interventions:
Mass Media Alone
On behalf of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, a team of subject matter specialists and other scientists conducted a systematic review of published studies evaluating the effectiveness of mass media alone in increasing screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer.
The Task Force concluded there was insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of mass media when used alone in increasing screening rates for these types of cancer.
- In these interventions, mass media—including television, radio, newspaper, magazines, and billboards—are used to communicate educational and motivational information in community-wide or larger scale campaigns.
Breast Cancer: More Evidence is Needed to Determine the Effectiveness of Mass Media Alone to Increase Screening
Findings from the Systematic Review
- The evidence was insufficient to determine the effectiveness of mass media alone in increasing breast cancer screening by mammography, because no studies qualified for the systematic review.
Cervical Cancer: More Evidence is Needed to Determine the Effectiveness of Mass Media Alone to Increase Screening
Findings from the Systematic Review
- The two studies that qualified for the review reported three outcome measures, with a median relative increase of 21.3% in completed cervical cancer screening.
- The evidence was insufficient to determine the effectiveness of mass media alone in increasing cervical cancer screening by Pap test because too few studies of adequate quality were found.
Colorectal Cancer: More Evidence is Needed to Determine the Effectiveness of Mass Media Alone to Increase Screening
Findings from the Systematic Review
- The evidence was insufficient to determine the effectiveness of mass media alone in increasing colorectal cancer screening, because no studies qualified for the review.
Prior to and during the literature review and data analysis, the review team and the Task Force on Community Preventive Services attempt to address the key questions of what interventions work, for whom, under what conditions, and at what cost. Lack of sufficient information often leaves one or more of these questions unanswered. The Community Guide refers to these as “research gaps". Research gaps are pulled together in the form of a basic set of questions to inform a research agenda for those in the field. Each completed Community Guide review includes a section on research gaps (or issues) and this is included in final evidence review publications.
Cancer is a major public health problem in the United States. For more information on the scope of this problem, visit
Background on Screening for Breast, Cervical and Colorectal Cancers.
Evidence Review:
Baron RC, Rimer BK, Breslow RA, et al.
Client-directed interventions to increase community
demand for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer
screening: a systematic review.
Am J Prev Med 2008;35(1S):34-55.
Recommendations:
Task Force on Community Preventive
Services. Recommendations for client- and
provider-directed interventions to increase
breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening
Am J Prev Med 2008;35(1S):21-5.
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and the Task Force on Community Preventive Services and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC.
The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Client-oriented cancer screening interventions: mass media alone.
www.thecommunityguide.org/cancer/screening/mass-media.htm.
Last Updated: MM/DD/YYYY.
Review completed: July 2008
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