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Should I Be Tested for Cancer?: Maybe Not and Here's Why »

Book cover image of Should I Be Tested for Cancer?: Maybe Not and Here's Why by H. Gilbert Welch M.D. M.P.H.

Authors: H. Gilbert Welch M.D. M.P.H.
ISBN-13: 9780520239760, ISBN-10: 0520239768
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: University of California Press
Date Published: March 2004
Edition: (Non-applicable)

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Author Biography: H. Gilbert Welch M.D. M.P.H.

H. Gilbert Welch, M.D., M.P.H., is Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and Codirector of the VA Outcomes Group in the Department of Veterans Affairs, White River Junction, Vermont.

Book Synopsis

"I have long been a fan of Dr. Welch's research and his considerable insight into the dilemma of disease screening. I'm profoundly grateful that he has now made this information available to everyone in an easy-to-read, practical book. Should I Be Tested for Cancer? is a must-read for every doctor and patient in this country."—Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

"I did not think it possible to bring such a dry topic to life, but Dr. Welch has done it. He writes wonderfully well. For anyone interested in cancer screening or preventive medicine, this book is a page-turner. It will be a rare person—layperson or health professional—whose perspective is not changed by reading this provocative book."—Alfred Berg, M.D., M.P.H., Chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

"Dr. Welch has performed an invaluable public service. Whatever the successes of the nation's 'war on cancer,' too many people now believe it's always in their best interest to detect the disease early and rout it, regardless of the costs. This book will inject reason and good sense into an arena of medical decision making often dominated by hype and fear."—Susan Dentzer, Health Correspondent, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer

Table of Contents

Acknowledgmentsix
Introduction: The conventional wisdom about cancer testing and what this book is about1
Part IProblems You Should Know about
1.It is unlikely that you will benefit17
2.You may have a "cancer scare" and face an endless cycle of testing33
3.You may receive unnecessary treatment51
4.You may find a cancer you would rather not know about66
5.Your pathologist may say it's cancer, while others say it's not90
6.Your doctor may get distracted from other issues that are more important to you106
Part IIBecoming a Better-Educated Consumer
7.Understand the culture of medicine (and why we are pushed to test)115
8.Understand the statistics of cancer (and why five-year survival is the world's most misleading number)129
9.Understand the limits to research--even genetic research (and why it is hard to be sure there really are benefits to screening)152
10.Develop a strategy that works for you177
AppendixSummary of cancers discussed in this book191
Glossary193
Notes199
Index219

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