What is the recommended next step after a positive screening test?

• A. Proceed with treatment without diagnosis.
• B. Do nothing.
• C. Discontinue screening program.
• D. Proceed with diagnostic testing to confirm disease.

Answer: (D)

Screening tests are designed to detect potential disease in people without symptoms, but a positive result does not prove illness. The appropriate next step is diagnostic testing to confirm whether the disease is really present and to understand its extent. This confirmation guides treatment decisions, avoids unnecessary interventions for false positives, and ensures accurate staging or prognosis if disease is confirmed. Skipping verification, ignoring the positive result, or jumping to treatment without a confirmed diagnosis would be inappropriate steps.