Screening for Diseases and the Impact of Vaccination on Health

This report explores the critical role of disease screening in public health, focusing on breast and cervical cancer. It details the screening processes, including Pap tests and HPV tests for cervical cancer, and mammography and MRI for breast cancer, highlighting their importance in early detection and improved outcomes. The report also examines the role of vaccination, specifically the MMR vaccine, in preventing diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella. It emphasizes how vaccination builds immunity, protects communities, and reduces the risk of outbreaks, supporting overall health and well-being. The report includes a comprehensive bibliography of relevant research and studies.

Running head: SCREENING 1
Screening
Name
Institution

SCREENING 2
Screening
Screening of diseases is an activity conducted on people so as to detect any potential
health diseases or disorders. The major goal of screening is to help prevent diseases or their
escalation through early interventions. Screening of diseases such as cancer is very crucial in
helping in early detection and diagnosis (Oeffinger et al., 2015). This paper therefore highlights
the role of screening for diseases such as breast and cervical cancers and how vaccination such as
MMR can support healthy living.
Role of screening for disease such as cervical cancer
Screening for diseases such as cervical cancer is very important in its prevention since it
rarely presents symptoms in early stages. Since the screening helps check on the health of the
cervix, it is the best way women can prevent themselves from cervical cancer. There are two
screening tests that can be conducted to help prevent the escalation of cancerous cells in the
cervix.
Pap test
Pap test is a procedure that is used to help identify if there are precancer cells within the
cervix. By collecting the cervical cells, this screening helps in detecting changes in the cervix
that suggest the development of cancer in future. This is very crucial in putting a halt to this
possible development as it increases the chances of cure. This test is done by inserting a
speculum into the vagina of a woman and spreading it open so as to give an access to the cervix.
The pap smear can help ensure a diagnosis of cervical cancer if cancerous cells have been
detected. People test is highly protective and has been associated with reduced mortality rates

SCREENING 3
more so for people with advanced cervical cancer (Unim, Meggiolaro, Semyonov, Maffongelli,
& La Torre, 2014).
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
HPV is very effective in detecting and treating the precursors of cervical cancer. This is
because it enhances the identification of women with adenocarcinoma and its precursors. HPV is
a sexually transmitted DNA with different genotypes that help in the spread of cancerous cells.
Early HPV infections can be detected by histology or cytology as it revolves around the
immunity of the host which reverts the normal cells to corresponding abnormalities. HPV
infections can be caused by hormones, genetic factors, immunosuppression, mutagens, increased
age, and inflammation. Conducting HPV test helps in offering a high degree of certainty. Since
anybody can get in from skin to skin contact of the genital areas, screening helps in detecting the
HPV cells before they spread to other body organs (Petry, Wörmann, & Schneider, 2014).
Role of screening for disease such as breast cancer
Breast cancer screening entails the procedures that are used to detect cancer in the breast
at early stages when it can be treated and cured. Breast cancer screening may detect cancerous
cells that are very small or slowly growing and may lead to death or illnesses. Breast cancer is a
disease in which malignant cells develop in the tissues of the breast. The screening is used to
determine the different types of breast cancer before they show signs and symptoms. The most
common type of screening used for detecting breast cancer is known as mammography, a
method used to determine if there are tumors in the breast (Liu et al., 2014). The role of
screening in breast cancer is also used to identify if the early detection has the ability to increase
the person’s chances of living longer as well as decreasing their chances of dying. Since the

SCREENING 4
recovery chances are higher with early detection of breast cancer, it is important to screen
regularly (Webb et al., 2014). Moreover, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to
screen women who have higher chances of breast tumors so as to help prevent its development.
How vaccination such as MMR can support healthy living
MMR is a vaccine that is administered to prevent measles, mumps and rubella. This
vaccine is usually administered to children of 9 to 15 months thereby reducing the mortality and
morbidity rate when these children grow into adults. MMR vaccine support healthy living by
helping build up a defense system in the body which helps in fighting disease causing germs and
organisms (Dubé, Vivion, & MacDonald, 2015). Since the body must be exposed to different
types of germs so as to help build the immune system, the administration of MMR vaccine helps
in preventing children and even their family members from developing diseases which do not
have medical treatments and can result into illnesses or death. Although other people may be
susceptible to such diseases, their only protection is for others to get MMR vaccines so as to help
reduce the commonness of such diseases. Moreover, the administration of MMR vaccine helps in
reducing the rate of disease exposure within the community thereby reducing the risk of
epidemic incase there is an outbreak of such diseases. If children are not vaccinated, then they
have the ability to spread preventable diseases to other people with weakened immune systems
or even children who are too young to receive MMR vaccination which can in turn result into
long-term complications or even death of these vulnerable populations. MMR vaccines are also
administered in teenager and adults who do not have evidence of immunity so that they may not
be affected in any case they get exposed to such viruses (Fadda, Depping, & Schulz, 2015).
MMR vaccination is therefore essential in supporting healthy living by protecting individuals
and the community against contagious diseases.

SCREENING 5
Bibliographies
Dubé, E., Vivion, M., & MacDonald, N. E. (2015). Vaccine hesitancy, vaccine refusal and the
anti-vaccine movement: influence, impact and implications. Expert review of
vaccines, 14(1), 99-117.
Fadda, M., Depping, M. K., & Schulz, P. J. (2015). Addressing issues of vaccination literacy and
psychological empowerment in the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination decision-
making: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 836.
Liu, B. Y., O'malley, J., Mori, M., Fagnan, L. J., Lieberman, D., Morris, C. D., ... & Carney, P.
A. (2014). The association of type and number of chronic diseases with breast, cervical,
and colorectal cancer screening. J Am Board Fam Med, 27(5), 669-681.
Petry, K. U., Wörmann, B., & Schneider, A. (2014). Benefits and Risks of Cervical Cancer
Screening. Oncology research and treatment, 37(Suppl. 3), 48-57.
https://doi.org/10.1159/000365059
Oeffinger, K. C., Fontham, E. T., Etzioni, R., Herzig, A., Michaelson, J. S., Shih, Y. C. T., ... &
Wolf, A. M. (2015). Breast cancer screening for women at average risk: 2015 guideline
update from the American Cancer Society. Jama, 314(15), 1599-1614.
Unim, B., Meggiolaro, A., Semyonov, L., Maffongelli, E., & La Torre, G. (2014). Role of pap-
test in cervical cancer prevention: a systematic review and meta-analysisBrigid
Unim. European Journal of Public Health, 24(suppl_2).
https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cku165.115

SCREENING 6
Webb, M. L., Cady, B., Michaelson, J. S., Bush, D. M., Calvillo, K. Z., Kopans, D. B., & Smith,
B. L. (2014). A failure analysis of invasive breast cancer: most deaths from disease occur
in women not regularly screened. Cancer, 120(18), 2839-2846.