The Cost of Preventive Care

Preventive care, such as screenings and tests, usually prove beneficial to the patient because doctors can detect problems and begin treatment before they cause serious damage. However, some health experts are now saying that this type of preventive care can be ineffective when it comes to cost, with many screenings detecting abnormalities that doctors decide to treat, even though they may pose no risk to the patient. Aside from price, some treatments for these minor abnormalities may even harm the patient more than the actual problem. One recent study looked at PSA (prostate-specific antigen) prostate screenings over the past 15 years, revealing that many men with slow-growing tumors were receiving treatment for their cancer, even though the tumors were not advancing quickly enough to pose a risk. The study linked this excessive treatment to an over-diagnosis of prostate cancer resulting from “preventive care” screenings that detected these inconsequential tumors. According to the U.S. Preventive Care Task Force, there is not enough evidence to recommend for or against prostate cancer screenings for men under age 75. The Task Force also recommends against prostate cancer screenings for men age 75 and older. In addition, the American Cancer Society (ACS) does not support routine testing for prostate cancer, backing the belief that regular prostate cancer screenings are not completely necessary.

When it comes to improvements in technology, newer techniques usually mean better results. However, one 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a 3-D spiral CT screening used to detect lung cancer was ineffective, since it was not able to lower the number of lung cancer deaths. The spiral CT, which was initially welcomed by the American Cancer Society, was found to be possibly harmful because more abnormalities were detected, leading to unneeded surgeries. In addition, the ACS recently concluded that “no lung cancer screening test has been shown to prevent people from dying of this disease.” However, if a patient is at higher risk of developing cancer, their doctor may recommend more regular screenings than those with less risk. People with a family history of cancer or those that smoke, consume alcohol, are obese or have other risk factors may fall in to that high-risk category. Cancer treatment is most effective when the cancer is caught early on. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating cancer, our malpractice attorneys can help. Your initial consultation is FREE and there is NO FEE to you unless we recover money. Please call Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today, or submit an instant inquiry now and we will respond within 24 hours. Our experienced attorneys serve clients with Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice, Nassau cancer malpractice and Suffolk cancer malpractice cases.

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