# Not all cancer tests are useful: Know which ones help 2026-08-10T08:48:39+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A full-body cancer check-up may sound reassuring, but more tests do not always mean better protection, warns Dr Varun Goel in Times Now. Over-diagnosis and false alarms from unnecessary scans, like whole-body PET-CTs, can lead to avoidable procedures and anxiety. Proven screening, however, does save lives: mammograms for women aged 40-54 reduce breast cancer deaths; HPV and Pap tests catch cervical precancer from age 25; and colonoscopy or stool tests for colorectal cancer start around age 45. Lung cancer CT scanning is recommended only for heavy smokers aged 50-80 with at least a 20 pack-year history. For healthy non-smokers, annual CTs offer no benefit over evidence-based prevention. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com Tags: cancer screening, colonoscopy, HPV test, mammogram, over-diagnosis, PSA test Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/not-all-cancer-tests-are-useful-know-which-ones-help/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/not-all-cancer-tests-are-useful-know-which-ones-help/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.