In fact, they may contribute to “overdiagnosis”
screening
Overdoing Bone Density Testing
Testing can be a good way to detect potential medical problems before they cause illness, but occasionally such vigilant monitoring can be too much of a good thing.
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.
Study: More Breast Cancer Deaths Occurring in Younger, Unscreened Women
The latest data questions the most recent recommendation for breast cancer screening by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which advised women to get mammograms every other year starting at age 50.
Are Health Check-Ups Necessary? Study Says Not So Much
Getting yearly physicals makes intuitive sense—routine checkups can pick up early signs of disease and get you on treatment that could save your life. Or can they?
Doctors Should Screen All Adults for Obesity, U.S. Panel Says
With more American adults qualifying as obese than ever before, doctors should be screening all adult patients for unhealthy weight, says a government panel.
Physicians Groups Call for Fewer Tests for Patients
Nine professional medical societies are urging doctors and patients to cut back on unnecessary tests and procedures. The question is, Are they listening?
New Advice: Kids Should Be Screened for High Cholesterol
All tweens aged 9 to 11 should have their cholesterol checked to help head off cardiovascular disease early, according to new medical guidelines announced Friday.
Pediatricians Group Urges Routine HIV Testing for Teens
This week the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement called “Adolescents and HIV Infection.” The title alone garners attention. Teens and HIV?
Q&A: Two Harvard Docs Talk About Making the Best Medical Choices
(Updated) Critical medical decisions can be difficult to make — even for two Harvard doctors. But Dr. Jerome Groopman, who is also a staff writer for the New Yorker, and his wife, Dr. Pamela Hartzband, have thought a great deal …
Two Questions Can Help Doctors Spot Teen Alcohol Problems
Two questions asked during a regular pediatrician’s visit could help identify youth with drinking problems, according to a national expert group convened by the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA), which …
Prostate Cancer Screening: What You Need to Know
A panel of cancer experts is recommending against testing for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the most commonly used prostate cancer screen, in healthy men.
Study: Men May Benefit from Earlier Colonoscopy, But Women Can Wait
Colonoscopies aren’t the most pleasant medical procedures around, but regular colon-cancer screening can potentially save your life. That’s why doctors and most professional medical organizations recommend that all men and women …