I was referring to the mammograms Frank.
Yes, but you need to be a bit more specific when you use the "early detection" umbrella, since it also includes the self exam.
That is the industry's means of prevention - a regimen of blasting ones self with radiation every other year. So how is it not a recruitment tool? Its a viscous cycle of madness.
I won't attempt to argue the risk/reward of that, since there are 2 opinions - which should leave the choice to the patient and her physician.
I haven't had an Xray since I was a kid. None for the fam either and I will continue to avoid them. No annuals. I don't need a doc to tell me to quit drinking coke to lower my triglycerides.
I'm reminded of my father-in-law - a physician - who once told me that "any doctor who practices medicine on himself has a fool for a patient". I would imagine the same should apply to folks who aren't doctors, only perhaps more so..... but then, there is that idea of personal choice, so do what you think's right for you.
'Imposing their beliefs'?? I'm not even sure what that means outside of politically correct logical fallacies. How does one 'impose their belief on others? Is that the same as having an opinion?
If you think that the medical testing industry has promoted mammograms for purely capitalistic reasons, do you not link the latest recommendation with a drive to reform healthcare so insurance rates can be lowered in order to provide more immediate care to a greater number of people for the (supposed) same overall cost?
For pete's sake our family doc dumped us because we refused to give our kids the MMR vaccine. Start straying from accepted procedure and things get a lot more difficult.
Maybe your doctor was trying to tell you something...... did you get another opinion from a qualified person? Or were you convinced that the vaccine causes autism.... by your own "research"?
Does anyone claim smoking dope or sniffing glue 'cures' cancer?
No, and neither do they claim that mammograms "cure" breast cancer.... they can detect it, though. A lot of things are suspected of being cancer causitives, but some have not been proved - only suspected. As always, there a risk/reward ratio that should be considered.
My point was less people doing routine mammograms at an earlier age is a good thing in the opinion of many medical professionals - not just me.
Now, that may be true...... or not..... so let's just leave it there. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />
Frank <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
