Mike Shedlock wrote a post about how he beat prostate cancer. In doing so, he provides a typical example of how difficult the medical literature can be for a layperson to read, and where they can get things wrong. The Dunning-Kruger effect, leading to false beliefs about nearly everything since… read more "Another Misguided Cancer Testimonial"
A Skeptical Look at Screening Tests
I’m going to follow Mark Crislip’s example and recycle my presentation from The Amazing Meeting last week, not because I’m lazy or short on time (although I am both), but because I think the information is worth sharing with a larger audience. We’ve all had screening tests and we’re all likely… read more "A Skeptical Look at Screening Tests"
Prostate Cancer Dilemmas: To Test or Not to Test, To Cut or Not to Cut
The issue of PSA screening has been in the news lately. For instance, an article in USA Todayreported the latest recommendations of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF): doctors should no longer offer the PSA screening test to healthy men, because the associated risks are greater than the benefits. The story… read more "Prostate Cancer Dilemmas: To Test or Not to Test, To Cut or Not to Cut"
PSA – To Screen or Not to Screen
You’ve all heard the dramatic testimonials in the media: “I had a PSA test and they found my prostate cancer early enough to treat it. The test saved my life. You should get tested too.” The subject of screening tests is one that confuses the public. On the surface, it… read more "PSA – To Screen or Not to Screen"
A Skeptical Look at Screening Tests
I’m an equal opportunity skeptic. I’m skeptical about alternative medicine, pseudoscience, and quackery; but I apply the same standards of skepticism to conventional medicine. I don’t write about conventional medicine so much, because I don’t need to. Science itself is inherently skeptical and scientific medicine is self-criticizing and self-correcting. When… read more "A Skeptical Look at Screening Tests"