Comments on: False positive cancer screening tests doesn’t resonate in Congress http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests.html medical blog Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:03:10 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests.html/comment-page-1#comment-90671 Anonymous Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:51:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests-doesnt-resonate-in-congress.html#comment-90671 This bill reminds me of the people who think every woman should have an annual CA125 test to detect ovarian cancer. They focus on the possibility that a few lives might be saved while completely ignoring the large numbers of women who would be subjected to unnecessary CT scans and exploratory surgery because of false positives, as well as the women whose false negatives could lead to delayed diagnoses while the cancer progresses. This bill reminds me of the people who think every woman should have an annual CA125 test to detect ovarian cancer. They focus on the possibility that a few lives might be saved while completely ignoring the large numbers of women who would be subjected to unnecessary CT scans and exploratory surgery because of false positives, as well as the women whose false negatives could lead to delayed diagnoses while the cancer progresses.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests.html/comment-page-1#comment-90636 Anonymous Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:10:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests-doesnt-resonate-in-congress.html#comment-90636 I have decided to opt out of mammograms in my 40's. For me the risk of unnecessary harm outweighs the risk that I will be the one who dies of cancer.<br/><br/>The doctors I have seen treat me like I am stupid for making this decision. They use emotional blackmail so I will comply. If there is emotional attachment to mammograms, the medical establishment continues to feed that attachment. I have decided to opt out of mammograms in my 40’s. For me the risk of unnecessary harm outweighs the risk that I will be the one who dies of cancer.

The doctors I have seen treat me like I am stupid for making this decision. They use emotional blackmail so I will comply. If there is emotional attachment to mammograms, the medical establishment continues to feed that attachment.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests.html/comment-page-1#comment-90630 Anonymous Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:21:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests-doesnt-resonate-in-congress.html#comment-90630 Is it no longer recommended for a woman to get a baseline mammogram at 35? Is it no longer recommended for a woman to get a baseline mammogram at 35?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests.html/comment-page-1#comment-90626 Anonymous Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:19:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests-doesnt-resonate-in-congress.html#comment-90626 What's wrong with being heartless? Medicine and Public Health are very different beasts. As a physician I strive for empathy with my patients, but as a public health practitioner I need to be as dispassionate and, yes, heartless, about the evidence as I can be; the public's health depends upon it.<br/><br/>What the public health establishment needs is someone of impeccable character to stand up and say 'no' to this tug-at-the-heartstrings nonsense. Either by pointing to the evidence and saying if we do it your way, for every one person like you, we will terrify X women form your age group and perform Y procedures and Z women will have needless therapy. If you want to fight people who use emotional blackmail, you need to fight fire with fire. I'm sure the Congresswoman is a sympathetic character, but stack her against photos of thousands upon thousands of women who would be harmed by mammography in the 40s and you have something to fight back with. What’s wrong with being heartless? Medicine and Public Health are very different beasts. As a physician I strive for empathy with my patients, but as a public health practitioner I need to be as dispassionate and, yes, heartless, about the evidence as I can be; the public’s health depends upon it.

What the public health establishment needs is someone of impeccable character to stand up and say ‘no’ to this tug-at-the-heartstrings nonsense. Either by pointing to the evidence and saying if we do it your way, for every one person like you, we will terrify X women form your age group and perform Y procedures and Z women will have needless therapy. If you want to fight people who use emotional blackmail, you need to fight fire with fire. I’m sure the Congresswoman is a sympathetic character, but stack her against photos of thousands upon thousands of women who would be harmed by mammography in the 40s and you have something to fight back with.

]]> By: The Happy Hospitalist http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests.html/comment-page-1#comment-90625 The Happy Hospitalist Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:44:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/03/false-positive-cancer-screening-tests-doesnt-resonate-in-congress.html#comment-90625 This is why government is dangerous. It's a bunch of people who introduce bills and laws for their own self interest masked as for the interest of all.<br/><br/>That's why we are in the economic mess we are today. Lawyers writing bills for money based on how much money more lawyers give them to vote for the interest of their clients. This is why government is dangerous. It’s a bunch of people who introduce bills and laws for their own self interest masked as for the interest of all.

That’s why we are in the economic mess we are today. Lawyers writing bills for money based on how much money more lawyers give them to vote for the interest of their clients.

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