ST Alpha - "Stealing znu's NYT thunder: cancer screening may be more popular than useful. -- (link)" (Reading a Post)

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Stealing znu's NYT thunder: cancer screening may be more popular than useful. -- (link)

Posted by TFox Oct 31 '11, 08:36

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Cancer experts say they cannot ignore a snowballing body of evidence over the past 10 years showing over and over that while early detection through widespread screening can help in some cases, those cases are small in number for most cancers. (www.nytimes.com)

Responses:

That's why prostate screening tests aren't covered here. Too many false positives, etc. but I figure that if only a few people are saved it's worth it -- nm - zork Oct 31, 08:38 12
- except, the treatment for a false positive can be harmful. -- nm - Zombie Liz Taylor Oct 31, 08:40 11
  - I expect that a follow-up test would be done before treatment -- nm - zork Oct 31, 08:41 10
    - which might turn up another false positive. -- nm - Zombie Liz Taylor Oct 31, 08:44 9
      - offs. the chances of two false positives on the same person? much less than the cases you find by screening. -- nm - zork Oct 31, 08:45 8
        
        Their point is, overaggressive treatment is more harmful than no treatment. -- nm - Zombie Liz Taylor Oct 31, 08:47 7
        
        It's not exactly that it's "more harmful", it's more like unnecessary. The overwhelming majority of cases of prostate cancer are so slow-growing that - Trish Oct 31, 08:57 4
        
        depends on the treatment, I would imagine. - this is my costume Oct 31, 08:59 3
        
        Surgery and other treatments can be harmful as well. -- nm - Zombie Liz Taylor Oct 31, 09:03 2
        
        agreed. in any case, it made me sure as f*ck not want to get cancer. - this is my costume Oct 31, 09:04 1
        
        I am not sure yet about totally skipping screenings, but we have to take a careful look at whether overtesting - Zombie Liz Taylor Oct 31, 09:05
        
        well, that's not exactly their point. -- nm - TFox Oct 31, 08:52
        
        *walks away* -- nm - zork Oct 31, 08:51

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