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Screening finds people that are likely to have a disease or it looks for
factors that are precursors to disease. Mammography, a special X-ray of
the breasts, can detect breast cancers early in their development, when
they can be easier to treat. Pap smears detect changes in the cervix
that can be precursors to cancer. Screening tests can also be used to
identify people that are at greater risk of having a disease, for example,
cholesterol tests can identify people who are more likely to develop heart
disease. In recent years, advances in molecular genetics have resulted in
the ability to identify people who are susceptible to developing certain
diseases, this will lead to the development of many new kinds of screening
tests.
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