ABSTRACT
Screening has been defined as the identification of unrecognized disease or defect by the application of tests, examinations or other procedures that can be applied rapidly. The process may be broadly divided into ‘one-shot’ screening exercises and procedures applied to chronic diseases or conditions which may be repeated at intervals. The second category may be further subdivided into mass screening, selective screening and case finding. In the context of urological surgery, the debate concerning screening programmes chiefly concerns the search for chronic disease, typically urological neoplasia, usually by means of case finding or, at best, selective screening programmes.
