Cancer rates go up with age, but more experts are suggesting that older people might be better off without regular screening …
cancer screening
Colonoscopies Could Prevent 40% of Colorectal Cancers
Katie Couric was right about colonoscopies. They aren’t fun, but they lower cancer risk and save lives.
Reality Check on Cancer: Fast Progress But Too Many Preventable Deaths
The latest status report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) shows that most cancer deaths are avoidable.
Blood Test May Detect Ovarian Cancer At Its Earliest Stages
Ovarian cancer is treatable is detected early, but 70% of cases aren’t diagnosed until it’s too late. A promising blood test may change that.
One Colonoscopy May Be Enough to Prevent Colon Cancer for Some
Colonoscopies prevent cancer and save lives, but patients don’t like them. Could less invasive screening tests work just as well?
Breast Cancer Screening: How Komen Oversold the Benefits of Mammography
The breast cancer advocacy group, Susan G. Komen for the Cure — which famously introduced the world to the pink ribbon — used misleading statistics in an advertising campaign to overstate the benefits of mammography, while …
Prostate Cancer Screening: Why Can’t Doctors Agree?
According to a U.S. government advisory panel, almost no one should get screened for prostate cancer. But a new study this week reflects the continued view of many physicians — that screening does help to catch tumors earlier. …
Study: Surgery for Early Prostate Cancer Doesn’t Save Lives
Men who have early-stage prostate cancer will live just as long if they forgo surgery, which carries risks of impotence and incontinence, and simply do nothing but watch their cancer, according to the results of the largest …
Why People Stick with Cancer Screening, Even When It Causes Harm
When it comes to complex medical decisions, cold hard statistics may hold little sway over patients in the face of a single, compelling anecdote.
Prostate-Cancer Screening: Men Should Forgo PSA Testing, Panel Advises
A government panel finds there is little evidence that a common prostate-cancer screening saves men’s lives and instead raises the risk of unnecessary harm
Why Cancer Screening May Not Be a Good Idea for the Elderly
Our risk of cancer rises dramatically as we age — cancer is, after all, a disease of aging, a consequence of our increasing longevity. So it makes sense that the elderly should be routinely screened for new tumors — or doesn’t it?
Mammograms Only Occasionally Save Lives, Analysis Finds
Some doctors and public-health experts have stirred controversy in recent years by arguing that aggressive breast-cancer screening does more harm than good. Many health professionals disagree, but perhaps the most compelling …
Study: Mammograms Lead to Many False-Positive Results
In 2009, a government advisory group sent women and their doctors into a frenzy when it rolled back recommendations for annual breast cancer screening for most women. Saying that routine mammograms could potentially do more harm …