Public Insight Network

What is the Public Insight Network? | Frequently Asked Questions | Update your information

What's your experience with cancer screening tests?

Doubts have arisen about the practice of screening large populations for certain cancers. Recommendations to men on prostate cancer screening were scaled back recently because of the concern over unnecessary and harmful treatments. Then the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said breast cancer screenings were not as useful as thought for women in their 40s. Then came the news that annual cervical cancer screenings may be unnecessary for many young women.

What's your experience with cancer screenings? How could they be better handled to limit stress and unnecessary treatment? Fill in the form to share your experience.

* indicates required field

First Name *

Last Name *

State

Country

E-mail *

Phone

Street Address

City

Postal Code *

Fill in this form to share your insights with KUOW. What you say here is not broadcast unless you give explicit permission later on. You're not expected to fill in all the blanks, but please give us enough information to put us solidly in your shoes.

What kinds of cancer screenings have you had in the last few years? Check all that apply.

PSA screening for prostate cancer
mammogram
colonoscopy
Pap smear for cervical cancer
other

If you said other, please tell us more.

Did you get a positive reading on any test, indicating an abnormality that needed to be investigated?

no
yes

If you did have a positive test, how long did you wait until you got a definitive answer?

What tests did you undergo in order to obtain a diagnosis or find out that you were alright?

How much did it cost you personally to take these tests?

In your case, what could have been done to make the process better for you?

If you are a medical professional involved in cancer screenings, please share your perspective: how could cancer screenings be made more effective?

A lot of these tests are taken many times in a single lifetime. After your experience, will you do it all over again? Why or why not?

What else should we know?

What is your gender?

Very roughly, what is your household income?

If you have a document or photo you'd like us to see, please upload it. This does not give us permission to publish it: we'll ask first.

We ask for some information about you so we can contact you if we have questions. We will not share your personal information outside the newsrooms.

By filling out this form, you are giving KUOW permission to contact you for help with current and future news coverage, and you become part of the KUOW Public Insight Network. Through our partnership with American Public Media, you may have opportunities to also inform national stories on programs such as Marketplace, Marketplace Money, Speaking of Faith, and American RadioWorks.

Your answers are confidential. We will not quote you on the air or on the Web without first getting your explicit permission.

If you give us permission to publish your comments, we may edit them before reading them on-air or posting them to KUOW or American Public Media's Web sites. We reserve the right to reuse or republish your submission, or to withhold it from publication.

You must be 13 years or older to submit information to KUOW.

For more information see our Privacy Policy.