Confusing new cancer screening guidelines explained

In Dispatch, we often discuss the changing guidelines for prostate, breast, and cervical cancer screening. In the past two years alone, experts have advised fewer screenings on the basis of the greater harm than benefits too often resulting from the false-positives and unnecessary treatments that frequent screenings can lead to.

In this Sunday s New York Times, Gina Kolata provides an overview of the latest recommendations, explaining the rationale behind each and examining the pros and cons. The perspectives she presents from several different experts in the relevant fields help shine some much-needed light on this controversial topic. Especially because there remains a great deal of confusion among both doctors and patients about these changing guidelines, we highly recommend Kolata s consideration of the facts thus far.