More good stuff from the NY Times – an article wondering when is a person too old to screen for cancer:

It would seem logical that screening for cancers in their earliest, most curable stages would benefit anyone who might develop the cancers in question. But while the lives of some people over 65 or 70 could be saved by screening, for others the potential for harm associated with screening could outweigh the benefits.

All screening tests have risks, and experts suggest that these possible hazards, as well as the known benefits of screening, should be taken into account when deciding whether to undergo periodic screening late in life. Furthermore, the experts say, the benefits and risks of testing should be discussed with patients beforehand.

Since such discussions are problematic in the hurry-up climate of today’s medical care, prospective older candidates for cancer screening would be wise to consider the issues on their own.