Should I Be Tested for Cancer?: Maybe Not and Here’s Why

Getting tested to detect cancer early is one of the best ways to stay healthyor is it? In this lively carefully researched book a nationally recognized expert on early cancer detection challenges one of medicines most widely accepted beliefs: that the best defense against cancer is to always try to catch it early. Read this book and you will think twice about common cancer screening tests such as total body scans mammograms and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests. Combining patient stories and solid data on common cancers Dr. H. Gilbert Welch makes the case that testing healthy people for cancer is really a double-edged sword: while these tests may help they often have surprisingly little effect and are sometimes even harmful. Bringing together a body of little-known medical research in an engaging and accessible style he discusses in detail the pitfalls of screening tests showing how they can miss some cancers how they can lead to invasive unnecessary treatments and how they can distract doctors from other important issues. Welchs conclusions are powerful counterintuitive and disturbing: the early detection of cancer does not always save lives it can be hard to know who really has early cancer and there are some cancers better left undiscovered. Should I Be Tested for Cancer? is the only book to clearly and simply lay out the pros and cons of cancer testing for the general public. It is indispensable reading for the millions of Americans who repeatedly face screening tests and who want to make better-informed decisions about their own health care.