Category Archives: Cancer

More on Screening for Breast Cancer

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 18th November 2009

The United States Preventive Services Task Force last Monday released new guidelines for breast cancer screening. Predictably, the Task Force’s recommendations for less vigorous screening has resulted in a chorus of dissent verging on outrage from a variety of special interest groups. The American Cancer Society says it’s not going to change its recommendations for…


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The Limitations of Cancer Screening

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 1st November 2009

A recent article in the JAMA has received a lot of coverage in the lay press. It analyzes screening for breast and prostate cancer. Critics of both screening tests (including me) have, over many years, pointed out the problems inherent in screening for any disease, but most specifically these two. We mostly have been ignored….


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Early Diagnosis of Cancer

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 6th February 2009

The sad news that Justice Ginsburg has pancreatic cancer has resurfaced the issue of cancer survival data. Epidemiologists have been trying to convince oncologists for decades that survival data are meaningless. And they more or less have, though recidivism is common among the latter. US News has an article that shows that we’ve still got…


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Prostate Cancer Screening

Written by Neil Kurtzman | 29th December 2007

A few weeks ago the local NBC affiliate promoted an area wide program of free prostate cancer screening. PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing was offered by the city’s two largest medical centers at no charge to all comers. So great was the zeal displayed by the commentators that I’m sure women would have been tested…


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