Comments on: Six "must-have" medical tests for women http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/06/six-must-have-medical-tests-for-women.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: diorahttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2006/06/six-must-have-medical-tests-for-women.html#comment-64518 diora Fri, 30 Jun 2006 02:29:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2006/06/six-must-have-medical-tests-for-women.html#comment-64518 I don't like the word "must" when it comes to screening. Why not say "recommended"? Screening is a choice it is not an obligation. It benefits very few - tremendously, it harms a few; it has no effect on the majority. It is a personal choice.<br/><br/>For most tests NNT is in the thousands or tens of thousands. Yes you can be that 1 in 1000 who benefits, and yes it can save your life. But there is a price to pay - false positives, biopsies, overdiagnosis and overtreatment. And yes, with some tests, the harm associated with overtreatment is small and the test can actually prevent cancer, but in some cases the harm associated with overtreatment could be life-threatening. I don’t like the word “must” when it comes to screening. Why not say “recommended”? Screening is a choice it is not an obligation. It benefits very few – tremendously, it harms a few; it has no effect on the majority. It is a personal choice.

For most tests NNT is in the thousands or tens of thousands. Yes you can be that 1 in 1000 who benefits, and yes it can save your life. But there is a price to pay – false positives, biopsies, overdiagnosis and overtreatment. And yes, with some tests, the harm associated with overtreatment is small and the test can actually prevent cancer, but in some cases the harm associated with overtreatment could be life-threatening.

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