4 ms·

What about the anxiety and distress caused to the patient? How many might undergo an unnecessary mastectomy to be on the safe side?

• colechristensen 7y ago
  I have a problem with this vision. You can be told the risk factors for everybody, but when you are told the risk factors tailored to you it becomes dangerous? Should we tell everyone they're going to live forever so they live in ignorant bliss while healthy? I can see being unprepared for having that information, but I don't think the solution is not having the information.
  • timthorn 7y ago
    It's not a risk factor; it's a test outcome. You would be told that you've tested positive with the follow on tests and anxiety that causes. There have been studies into exactly this: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22859786 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22859786 Specifically on breast cancer screening, the National Institute for Clinical Evidence in the UK has published management guidance that is quite interesting: https://cks.nice.org.uk/breast-screening https://cks.nice.org.uk/breast-screening
    • wccrawford 7y ago
      Can't read that last link outside the UK. They wouldn't be wold they were positive for cancer. They'd be told that the computer predicts that they are at very high risk for breast cancer. That's knowledge that I think people should have, personally.