Patients deserve the truth: health screening can do more harm than good | Margaret McCartney

The NHS fails to inform patients that health screening often leads to unnecessary and risky treatmentsThere was some good news shortly before the Christmas break: the Parliamentary Science and Technology Committeeannounced an enquiry into health screening.The need for a review is pressing. Screening always sounds good – catch disease early, while it can still be treated – but the reality is more complex and screening has side effects. The problem is that doctors and researchers have known about these downsides of screening for decades, but the message hasn't got through to patients.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Medical research Health Society Science & wellbeing Life and style Breast cancer Bowel cancer Prostate cancer NHS Source Type: news