Making the decision about cancer testing, like most medical decisions, involves weighing potential benefits and harms. Most people believe that we now have no harms to testing; my interest in writing this article is to help people understand that there are in fact two sides to the issue. Let me reiterate that this message applies to testing people who don't have symptoms; it doesn't apply to testing people who are sick.
And I am not suggesting that screening is always the wrong thing to do. Solutions to test and times not to test. I also want people to be prepared for the fact that there isn't and never will be a definitive "answer" about screening, no matter how much research is done.
Deciding whether to be tested for cancer involves much more than knowing the facts. While evidence of benefit or harm is relevant to the decision, so too are your own situation and your own values. Take some time to consider them. Make a proactive choice. If you choose not to go looking for cancer, feel good about staying healthy and staying out of doctors' offices. If you decide to go looking for cancer, feel better about looking for disease early and managing it prudently.
I wish to return to the woman's question about having faith in one's doctor. My response is, yes, you ought to have faith in your doctor. But not the old-fashioned type of faith, the faith that he or she always has the right answer. Instead I see something much richer plus much more realistic. You can rely on that your doctor understands that the field of health care is highly complex, much more so than is generally portrayed in books, magazines, and the electronic media. You can rely on that your doctor knows there is much uncertainty in medical care.
And if your doctor recognizes that you appreciate the complexity and uncertainty as well, you should have faith that you'll have a different kind of relationship with your doctor one that produces better decisions on your behalf.
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