Are doctors doing too much cancer screening?

Screening for certain cancers, such as breast, colon, or cervical cancer, have been shown to save lives.

However, the same can’t be said for a multitude of others, including lung, pancreatic, or ovarian cancer.

Major media outlets, like NBC’s Today Show, have in the past, irresponsibly trumpeted recommendations that have no basis in evidence.

To their credit, journalism professor Gary Schwitzer says they are trying to undo some of that damage, with this piece more critically asking whether we are doing too much cancer screening.

Once again, their resident medical expert, otolaryngologist Nancy Snyderman, chimes in with her support of the digital rectal exam for prostate cancer screening, when in actuality, it only garners an “I” recommendation from the USPSTF.