Finding Fault With Finding More Cancer

Interesting op-ed in the Washington Post raising concern about a stampede of women who will demand the use of MRIs to scope any cancer in lieu of mammograms and other screening tools in light of studies showing MRIs can catch some cancers in subpopulations and high risk patients that mammo's can't.

Let's look at the presupposition: women are hysterical and too stupid and doctors are unable to explain to women what the risks and benefits and limits of MRIs are. Also, let's look at the facts: the number of women who are seeking out mammo's for screening has declined...in part because irresponsible cults like Breast Cancer (In)action have conducted public campaign to discourage such testing....

So let's get a grip and recognize as does that article that the use of MRI's in select cases can reduce the spread of metastatic cancers and save lives or might do so. And we should research the value of such diagnostics in achieving that goal. No one is suggesting a blank check..except the scaremongers who presuppose that all patients are stupid and all doctors are patsies...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/06/AR2007040601955_2.html?nav=rss_health