The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program: toward a system of cancer screening in the United States.

In the mid-1980s when there was a shift in public health priorities toward the prevention and control of chronic disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a screening program based on the core elements of surveillance, public and provider education, quality assurance, and national and local collaborations. With the Affordable Care Act providing coverage for millions of individuals, the CDC now has an opportunity to focus on recommended cancer screenings through an organized approach versus an opportunistic approach.