Over-diagnosis epidemic

Analysis and Comment (8)

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Over-diagnosis and over-treatment happen for many reasons – and consumers contribute as well. www.shutterstock.com

The ethics of over-diagnosis: risk and responsibility in medicine

By Stacy M. Carter

OVERDIAGNOSIS EPIDEMIC – Today, Stacy Carter presents a philosophical view of over-diagnosis and what can be done to change how things stand. Recently a friend told me a story about her dad. Fit and well…
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Not asking critical diagnostic questions is one of the causes ofthe high prevalence rates for ADHD. Jeff Meyer

Moving the diagnostic goalposts: medicalising ADHD

By Rae Thomas

OVER-DIAGNOSIS EPIDEMIC – Today, Rae Thomas looks at the growing prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Does your five-year-old have difficulty sustaining attention? What about organising…
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Of all the teenagers with flu-like symptoms, GPs need to find the one with a lymphoma in his chest. Joey Yee

Over-diagnosis: the view from inside primary care

By Jenny Doust

OVER-DIAGNOSIS EPIDEMIC – We kick off the second week of this series with Jenny Doust looking at some drivers of over-diagnosis in general practice. It’s easy to dismiss general practice as being about…
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To prevent one death from prostate cancer, 1,055 men would need to be screened and 37 cancers detected. Isaac Leedom

PSA screening and prostate cancer over-diagnosis

By Robert Burton, Monash University; Christopher Stevenson, Deakin University, and Mark Frydenberg, Monash University

OVER-DIAGNOSIS EPIDEMIC – We finish our first week of this series with Robert Burton, Christopher Stevenson and Mark Frydenberg examining prostate cancer screening. Scientific oncology started with the…
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Women need to be made aware of over-diagnosis and given enough information to make up their own minds about screening. Johan/Flickr

Over-diagnosis and breast cancer screening: a case study

By Robin Bell, Monash University and Robert Burton, Monash University

OVER-DIAGNOSIS EPIDEMIC – Today Robin Bell and Robert Burton examine breast cancer to evaluate the role of population-wide screening in over-diagnosis. Since the national screening mammography program…
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Over-diagnosis happens when people are diagnosed with diseases or conditions that won’t actually harm them. www.shutterstock.com

Preventing over-diagnosis: how to stop harming the healthy

By Ray Moynihan

OVER-DIAGNOSIS EPIDEMIC – In the first instalment of a ten-part series Ray Moynihan outlines the growing problem of over-diagnosis. If you haven’t heard much yet about the problem of over-diagnosis, rest…

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