When Preventative Care Leads to More Harm Than Good

Preventative medicine is thought to be cost-effective in that diseases can be both prevented or caught in the early stages. However, an interesting article came out in the NY Times yesterday, stating that “some patients are enduring aggressive treatments for cancer that could have gone undetected for a lifetime without [harm].” Furthermore, “some cancers found through screening and treated in its earliest stages still end up being deadly.” This suggests that screening can lead to costly, unnecessary treatments that affect patients’ quality of life without improving survival. Of course, it should be acknowledged that screening leads to good outcomes as well, such as appropriate treatment for aggressive cancers. But where should the line be drawn? When is there too much screening? What should be done to protect patients from being diagnosed with pseudo-diseases and experiencing the psychological and physical consequences of overtreatment?

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/health/22screen.html?_r=1&ref=health