Comments on: The business of prostate cancer: putting profit before patients

By: Royale

Royale — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 03:55:44 +0000

“PSA-based screening reduced the already low rate of death from prostate cancer by 20%, but was also associated with a high risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment.”

That makes it sound like these researchers are saying a 20% reduction in death rate is not considered significant!? Anti-screening advocates like this author have a long way to go to win the PR war waging over the benefits of early detection – much like the breast cancer awareness movement that urges the equally controversial screening mammograms.

By: M. Meagher

M. Meagher — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 20:05:44 +0000

Luiz, I’m betting you have never been diagnosed with cancer yourself. Let’s see how willing to do nothing you’d be if you were one day diagnosed or if you had symptoms consistent with prostate cancer. My guess is that both you and the guy who wrote this book would be demanding both the test and then immediate treatment.

By: Pat

Pat — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:55:16 +0000

This is an outstanding book, yet I fear its very thesis will frighten off men and their doctors. There is a very powerful lobbying faction out there snowballing out of control in an effort to raise awareness of this diagnosis and then the “need” for treatment. Thanks for helping to share the experts’ opinions of the other side of this issue.

By: Lou Ferriss

Lou Ferriss — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:07:26 +0000

Oh, yeah, it’s a business alright. And what a business! A license to print money for many doctors. I’ve read this book and I encourage everyone to read this – especially men who have bought into the growing demand for routine PSA testing (a movement largely funded by industry and for-profit medicine).

Thanks for helping to spread the word – it’s an uphill battle.

By: Luiz in Barcelona

Luiz in Barcelona — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:36:49 +0000

I absolutely agree with the Doctor who wrote this book, but my suspicion is that if a man hears the C-word, he is unlikely to tolerate cancer of any kind, no matter how benign, to go untreated inside his body.