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Two types of Cancer tests are common, diagnostic tests and screening tests. Prominent amongst the diagnostic tests are Imaging Tests and Laboratory Tests. Imaging tests produce pictures of the inside of the body to see if a person has any suspicious areas or abnormalities. Mammogram, CT scanner, MRI, Virtual Colonoscopy and Ultrasound are examples of imaging tests. Laboratory Tests use a sample of blood, urine or any other substance from the person's body to identify possible changes. PAP Tests, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Tests, Tumor Markers are all used for detecting cancer.

Cancer assessment tools are used to determine a person's risk for developing cancer. The tools estimate a person's risk for developing a particular type of cancer over a certain period of time, for example the next 5 years. This type of estimate is called a person's absolute risk. Doctors use a risk management tool to identify patients who may be at higher risk of developing a certain type of cancer. They may use this information for developing risk reduction plans and regular screening schedules to detect the cancer early, if it does develop. ...
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A cancer screening test has many goals. Predominant amongst them are to find cancer early before symptoms present themselves, have very few false-negative and false-positive test results and decrease the chance of dying from cancer. Some cancer screening tests are the Mammogram (breast), Pap smear (cervix) and Colonoscopy (colon). If the result of a screening test is abnormal, more tests follow to check for cancer. For example a screening Mammogram may find a lump in the breast, which may be due to a cancer or something else. More diagnostic tests are needed to find out if the lump is a cancer, or not. A diagnostic test may include a biopsy, in which cells are removed and studied under a microscope for signs of cancer.

Early cancer detection includes examinations and tests intended to find cancer as early as possible (ideally before it has spread) when it can be treated most effectively and with the fewest possible side effects. The disease can be curable, under the condition that it is detected early. Early detection is the most important and effective strategy for saving lives lost from cancer, diminishing suffering due to cancer and eliminating cancer as a major health problem.