It's possible (if not likely) that paying for this test made you more likely to die. There are two mechanisms for this:
1) You could develop cancer tomorrow, notice the symptoms, and assume it's not worth getting screened again because you were just supposedly cleared of cancer. A common logical fallacy for our human brains is that we think, "Oh, I just got a test, so it's less likely I have cancer today," which is not how probability works.
2) You could have gotten a false positive, which would have led to unnecessary additional screening. Many methods of cancer screening have some risk, whether from anesthesia, infection, or further false positives leading to unnecessary treatment.
> A common logical fallacy for our human brains is that we think, "Oh, I just got a test, so it's less likely I have cancer today," which is not how probability works.
Given my interactions with my doctors and their tests, they did seem to hold this belief, too.
In any case, the real mistake people make is failing to update their beliefs when new evidence (symptoms) appears. Rookie mistake. My doctors love to do (or rather, not do) this. Who needs differential diagnosis and re-evaluation when they can just keep the diagnosis and continue receiving a fuckton of money after you based on a secore-based system we have here?
I am not going to avoid any reasonable treatment/screen because of it. It was intended to catch asymptomatic cancer. Additional invasive screenings are voluntary and like all treatments they carry risk. I weigh all treatments based on their risks at the time.
For everyday people increased screening of all types has risks, but overall the benefits massively outweigh the risks. If I was a frail 80yo, I might see the risk profile differently.
In my career I've encountered many people who "don't want to know" about medical tests of any kind. I'm not one of those people. Minimally invasive screens early and often please.
smt88|4 months ago
1) You could develop cancer tomorrow, notice the symptoms, and assume it's not worth getting screened again because you were just supposedly cleared of cancer. A common logical fallacy for our human brains is that we think, "Oh, I just got a test, so it's less likely I have cancer today," which is not how probability works.
2) You could have gotten a false positive, which would have led to unnecessary additional screening. Many methods of cancer screening have some risk, whether from anesthesia, infection, or further false positives leading to unnecessary treatment.
johnisgood|4 months ago
Given my interactions with my doctors and their tests, they did seem to hold this belief, too.
In any case, the real mistake people make is failing to update their beliefs when new evidence (symptoms) appears. Rookie mistake. My doctors love to do (or rather, not do) this. Who needs differential diagnosis and re-evaluation when they can just keep the diagnosis and continue receiving a fuckton of money after you based on a secore-based system we have here?
searine|4 months ago
I am not going to avoid any reasonable treatment/screen because of it. It was intended to catch asymptomatic cancer. Additional invasive screenings are voluntary and like all treatments they carry risk. I weigh all treatments based on their risks at the time.
For everyday people increased screening of all types has risks, but overall the benefits massively outweigh the risks. If I was a frail 80yo, I might see the risk profile differently.
In my career I've encountered many people who "don't want to know" about medical tests of any kind. I'm not one of those people. Minimally invasive screens early and often please.