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The Myth Of Early Detection - 4/8/2009 6:54:57 AM

Owner59

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By Sharon Begley

http://www.newsweek.com/id/191428

Talk about missing the point. In the fortnight since two studies, taken together, showed that the PSA test for prostate cancer does not decrease mortality from that disease, pundits and bloggers have been sputtering with outrage and grasping at straws. The studies were flawed, critics said. Neither followed the men long enough. A conclusion about patients in the aggregate can't apply to individual men.

Please. Let's stop arguing over arcane details and splitting hairs over whether the PSA test reduces cancer mortality by a little (as one study found) or nothing, and focus on the truly infuriating, head-scratching thing about all early-detection studies: that the results are not an unambiguous, slam-dunk positive. If the hype is right, then finding a tumor when it is small should mean a better chance that surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy will eradicate it, allowing you to live until something else kills you. Early detection should produce clear, unquestionable benefits."

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http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2007/07/23/early_detection_myth_screening_for_cancer_etc_fails_test.htm

"Sadly many have been led to believe that early cancer screening will save their lives, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact biopsies often are instrumental in seeding* the cancer elsewhere in the body. Thus accelerating cancer growth (metastasis) that was once contained by body and may have been slow progressing as is often the case. Clearly this is very dangerous yet most will subject themselves vily nily to this procedure in the misguided faith in the early detection myth... Any advantage one gets from early detection has now become a liability as cancer growth rate has accelerated often to the point that the patient has now become an emergency case."

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As the debate about managing healthcare ramps up,studies like these are are going to be part of it.

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RE: The Myth Of Early Detection - 4/8/2009 7:06:08 AM

chiaThePet

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A very interesting read as just this day I will be taking step mama to her oncologist
to discuss the discovery of two spots in her chest after the removal of a cancerous
kidney three months prior. I will be reading further, and listening quite closely to
the "recommended" course of action he is sure to suggest of an 84 year old
diabetic suffering back pain and immense depression following the loss of her
companion of 38 years, my papa. Timely indeed, Thank You.

chia* (the pet)

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RE: The Myth Of Early Detection - 4/8/2009 7:12:53 AM

Owner59

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Listening to the author interviewed on NPR,a female caller shared how many false negatives and false positives there are,with people going through being told they have cancer only to find out 6 months,a year later that they doen`t.

That`s gotta suck.

It comes down to that we want to live and want to believe we have at least some control.

< Message edited by Owner59 -- 4/8/2009 7:13:08 AM >

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