Search Library for "screening"
Are Pelvic Exams Over done?
submitted by: admin on 11/24/2019
According to a study done a UCSF and published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology the pelvic exam is performed for reasons that are medically unjustified. Many MDs mistakenly believe the exam is important in screening for ovarian cancer.
MDs have been trained to do this exam as part of a routine exam and have the belief that it would be...
At What Age Should Children be Screened for Cholesterol?
submitted by: admin on 11/24/2019
There are no studies defining when kids should be screened for cholesterol, yet there are accepted standards published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and published in the journal, Pediatrics, proclaiming that kids should be screened beginning at age 2 according to the UCSF Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
The reasoning for this...
Biennial Mammograms are Sufficient to Screen for Breast Cancer
submitted by: admin on 11/23/2019
According to researchers at the University of California Medical Center, and published in the March issue of Internal Medicine, screening for breast cancer every two years is preferrable to yearly screens when doing mammograms. This was based on a study of 900,000 women. It appears that this applies to women from the age of 50-94. Mammograms picked...
Is Breast Tomosynthesis Superior to Digital Mammograms
submitted by: admin on 07/29/2019
According to a paper presented at the December 2013 annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, breast tomosynthesis (a limited CT scan of the breast) is a better test than the digital mammogram because it is a more sensitive test that finds breast cancers (22% more), is it associated with a lower recall rate because of false positive tests (15%fewer),...
Do Workplace Wellness Programs Work?
submitted by: admin on 11/08/2017
An article published in the January 2014 issue of Health Affairs reported on cost effectiveness of PepsiCo's workplace wellness program and reported that it had no significant value when it came to financial benefit or for cutting absenteeism, quitting smoking, or reducing weight. They went on to state that regular screening for early detection of diseases...
The Tragedy of American Healthcare
submitted by: admin on 11/08/2016
THE TRAGEDY OF AMERICAN HEALTHCARE
Len Saputo, MD
Introduction: The New Terrain of American Health Care
Over the past 25 years the practice of medicine has become a business, physicians have become employees, and patients have become commodities. Healthcare has become more standardized and doctors have been taught to treat “sets...
Is Surgery the Best Treatment for Localized Prostate Cancer?
submitted by: admin on 06/30/2016
For men with localized prostate cancer, surgery does not save lives and it has a much higher rate of complications such as impotence and incontenance. However, once a man knows he has prostate cancer, he has a powerful drive to get it out even if the data does not support this approach. The word, "cancer" scares us.
We need much better...
Prostate Cancer Overview
submitted by: admin on 06/30/2016
The PSA era is over. Modern research has shown that it leads to overdiagnosis and overtreatment and far too many surgeries, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy. Prostate cancer is very common, but only about 2% need to be treated. Preventive measures and environmental toxins are reviewed. The relationship of various hormones is discussed.New tools...
Breast Imaging for Pain is Not Useful
submitted by: admin on 06/25/2016
Women witlh breast pain who receive imaging as part of their evaluation undergo additional testing with mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs are often biopsied. However, they do not benefit according to a Boston University School of Medicine study published in March of 2012 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Pain is rarely a presenting symptom...
Spontaneous Cancer Remission
submitted by: admin on 06/25/2016
Many breast cancers resolve on their own. Autopsy studies show that about 30% of women in their 50s have occult breast cancers that apparently come and go. It makes one wonder if we are massively overdiagnosing cancers and overtreating them as well. The trick is to know which cancers are dangerous and in need of treatment. Studies on mammograms over time have...
DCIS
submitted by: admin on 06/25/2016
Ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, makes up 25% of breast cancers and is lethal in only 1-2%. Failure to differentiate leads to massive overtreatment, significant emotional and physical disability, and unnecessary treatment and costs. There is a desperate need for better screening tests. Many of these cancers spontaneously disappear.
Breast Cancer Overview
submitted by: admin on 06/25/2016
The important statistics about breast cancer are reviewed. Risk factors and three main cellular types are described. Mainstream and alternative treatments are reviewed. Integrative strategies make the most sense.
PSA Screening
submitted by: admin on 06/18/2016
The inventor of the PSA test as come out and stated that the PSA era is over. We are over-diagnosing too many prostate cancers that don't need treatment with the test. There is no good prostate screening test today. The PSA test is good for following known prostate cancers as they are a good measurement of the extent of growth of the cancer.
Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Screening
submitted by: admin on 06/18/2016
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a government organization whose function is to develop guidelines for health screening tests. Guidelines for cervical cancer have been developed and make a lot of sense. Women 21-65 should have a routine Pap smear every three years unless they also had an HPV screen at the same time; in that case every 5 years...
Do Familial Precancerous Polyps Predict Colon Cancer?
submitted by: admin on 06/18/2016
When do you need a colonoscopy? An article in Annals of Internal Medicine in May of 2012 stated that there's insufficient evidence to recommend earlier or more frequent colonoscopies for people who have a first degree relative with a precancerous polyp unless the polyp is advanced. About 30-50% of people have polyps that are precancerous, but only 5-10% warrant...
Sigmoidoscopy an Option for Colon Cancer Screening
submitted by: admin on 06/18/2016
The May of 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports that sigmoidoscopy rather than colonoscopy could be used to screen for colon cancer. A clinical trial of 150,000 people was done where half had sigmoidoscopy and the other have nothing. They were followed over 12 years and over that interval there were 89 fewer cancer deaths and 275 more colon...
Do We Need Virtual Colonoscopies?
submitted by: admin on 06/18/2016
Is there a need for virtual colonoscopies? In fact, is there a need for any colonoscopies in asymptomatic people? There is a lot of controversy on this topic. The advantage of virtual colonoscopy is that it is easier for the patient, but it also delivers a hefty dose of radiation and often required a regular colonoscopy if there are abnormal findings.
Colonoscopy Screening Questioned
submitted by: admin on 06/18/2016
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published an article saying that colonoscopy for primary screening might be going too far. I agree! The benefits, harms, and costs have not been determined. Checking the stool for ocult blood and flexible sigmoidoscopy have been shown to be of value but there's no data showing that colonoscopy gives additional...
Canadians Recommend Fewer Mammograms
submitted by: admin on 06/18/2016
The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care now recommends mammograms every three years, no self breast examinations, and no clinical breast exams. They believe these procedures cause too many needless biopsies, mental anguish, and over treatment. This also leads to massive overtreatment of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) which is only life-threatening...
Mammograms Remain Controversial
submitted by: admin on 06/18/2016
One third of cancers detected by mammography may not be life-threatening according to the November of 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Over the past 3 decades, an estimated 1.3 million women have been over-diagnosed of breast cancer that has led to treatment for a cancer for which they did not need treatment.
Many of these cancers...
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