I don’t know anything about testicular cancer, but are self-exams useful for breast cancer? I know that the data argues against mammogram-everyone-annually + the ensuing unnecessary surgeries caused by not-harmful tumors or other false positives—no increase at all in life expectancy and presumably there’s a significant psychological (and $) cost.
I’m not sure. I didn’t research this very extensively. If you’ve already done the legwork it sounds like great material for a post, since it involves making correct tradeoffs based on probabilities.
Breast self exam is not recommended by the Susan G. Komen foundation, neither recommended nor discouraged by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the National Cancer Institute reports no benefit but an increase in biopsies of benign tumors.
Testicular self-exams have not been studied enough for recommendations to be made, according to the American Cancer Society.
I think you may have misread the article. According your link, the American Cancer Society states that, “Men with risk factors, such as an undescended testicle, previous testicular cancer, or a family member who has had this cancer should seriously think about monthly self-exams. If you have risk factors, talk it over with a doctor. Each man has to decide for himself whether to examine his testicles each month.” It also said it, “does not have a recommendation about regular testicular self-exams for all men.” Perhaps you missed the “all.”
I don’t see why discussing the general population causes “all” to mean “the general population.” That said, I understand what you mean, so arguing further seems rather petty.
The American Cancer Society is made up of members that profit from an increased amount of cancer treatment. The fact that they write something that points people to taking up testicular self-exams doesn’t mean that they are having evidence for that.
They protested when the US government reduced breast cancer screening that produced unnecessary operations.
Each man has to decide for himself whether to examine his testicles each month
When medicial society writes something like that it means they don’t have evidence for whether it’s a useful practice.
If there would be evidence that a particular subgroup would benefit than the article would point it out that the evidence exist.
I don’t know anything about testicular cancer, but are self-exams useful for breast cancer? I know that the data argues against mammogram-everyone-annually + the ensuing unnecessary surgeries caused by not-harmful tumors or other false positives—no increase at all in life expectancy and presumably there’s a significant psychological (and $) cost.
I’m not sure. I didn’t research this very extensively. If you’ve already done the legwork it sounds like great material for a post, since it involves making correct tradeoffs based on probabilities.
Breast self exam is not recommended by the Susan G. Komen foundation, neither recommended nor discouraged by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the National Cancer Institute reports no benefit but an increase in biopsies of benign tumors.
Testicular self-exams have not been studied enough for recommendations to be made, according to the American Cancer Society.
I think you may have misread the article. According your link, the American Cancer Society states that, “Men with risk factors, such as an undescended testicle, previous testicular cancer, or a family member who has had this cancer should seriously think about monthly self-exams. If you have risk factors, talk it over with a doctor. Each man has to decide for himself whether to examine his testicles each month.” It also said it, “does not have a recommendation about regular testicular self-exams for all men.” Perhaps you missed the “all.”
The all is implicit from the context of the OP, which was lifestyle interventions to increase longevity for the general population.
I don’t see why discussing the general population causes “all” to mean “the general population.” That said, I understand what you mean, so arguing further seems rather petty.
The American Cancer Society is made up of members that profit from an increased amount of cancer treatment. The fact that they write something that points people to taking up testicular self-exams doesn’t mean that they are having evidence for that.
They protested when the US government reduced breast cancer screening that produced unnecessary operations.
When medicial society writes something like that it means they don’t have evidence for whether it’s a useful practice.
If there would be evidence that a particular subgroup would benefit than the article would point it out that the evidence exist.