The Effectiveness of Tailored Messaging Interventions to Promote Cancer Screening Adherence: A Systematic Review

Promoting adherence to cancer screenings through effective communication campaigns is critical for the prevention and early detection of cancer, significantly enhancing patients’ health outcomes. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of tailored messaging interventions in promoting screenings for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer. Randomized controlled trials conducted between January 2000 and August 2025, which personalized the intervention content based on at least one tailored psychological variable and measured screening intention or behavior as outcome variables, were included. Data were extracted from the PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus databases, resulting in the final identification of 42 studies that met the inclusion criteria. These studies were narratively synthesized and critically analyzed. Findings revealed a mixed but promising landscape: tailored interventions were consistently effective when compared to passive control groups (e.g. usual care), but showed more variable success against active, non-tailored message conditions. This superiority was more pronounced for female cancer screenings than for colorectal cancer screening. Successful interventions were consistently grounded in behavioral theories, and a key feature was the use of multiple communication formats, with the vast majority enhancing text with visual or audio components. This suggests that tailored messaging can positively influence cancer screening behaviors, but its value lies in strategic application. Therefore, a promising direction for future research is to explore the conditions under which different communication strategies are most effective. Future studies could develop and test stratified intervention models to investigate for which subgroups a resource-intensive tailored approach provides a clear advantage over simpler, more cost-effective strategies.