Tag

Overdiagnosis

All articles tagged with #overdiagnosis

health23 days ago•5 min saved

Screening Paradox: Why More Tests Don’t Always Improve Your Health

A health explainer warns that more testing isn’t always better: essential screenings like blood sugar and blood pressure can prevent disease, but direct-to-consumer tests and whole-body MRIs often yield incidental findings that lead to costly, unnecessary follow-up and anxiety. Clinicians should guide testing with evidence-based, life-stage recommendations, and readers are urged to question whether a test reduces mortality or just increases diagnoses. In the meantime, focusing on proven basics—healthy lifestyle, regular care, and meaningful activities—remains the best path to health.

via The Guardian|

#direct-to-consumer #health #medical-testing

health2 months ago•3 min saved

PSA screening cuts prostate cancer deaths but benefits are modest and risks exist

A large Cochrane review of six PSA screening trials (nearly 800,000 men) finds PSA testing can reduce prostate cancer deaths, but the absolute benefit is small (about 2 lives saved per 1,000 screened; 500 men need screening to prevent one death). Benefits emerge only with long follow-up, while many men face overdiagnosis and potential harms from treatment, such as incontinence or erectile dysfunction. The authors caution against universal screening and emphasize shared decision making, with targeted approaches for high-risk groups and ongoing development of MRI- and biomarker–based methods whose extra benefit remains uncertain.

via The Guardian|

#health #overdiagnosis #prostate-cancer

health2 months ago•5 min saved

Overdiagnosis Rises Sharply After 70 in PSA Prostate Screening, Study Finds

A UK analysis of over 400,000 men finds PSA-based prostate cancer screening has low overdiagnosis risk in men in their 50s–60s but rises sharply after 70 due to higher competing mortality; 16% of PSA-detected cancers would not become clinically relevant within 15 years at age 50, rising to 32% at 70 and 58% at 80. Consequently, screening offers little net benefit for men over 70, though MRI-guided biopsy and ongoing trials may reduce harms from overdiagnosis; decisions should be individualized, especially for older men.

via The Conversation|

#aging #health #overdiagnosis

health4 months ago•42 min saved

Glow-on Scans Trim Unnecessary Prostate Biopsies

Australian researchers show that PSMA PET/CT scans light up aggressive prostate cancers so clearly that many patients with inconclusive MRI can avoid invasive biopsies, potentially halving biopsy rates without missing clinically significant disease; the Primary2 trial (about 660 men) found that those with negative scans did not need biopsies and those with positive scans had targeted biopsies, with two-year follow-up and increasing availability in Australia and Europe.

via Good News Network|

#biopsy #health #imaging

health4 months ago•5 min saved

Rising Mental Health Diagnoses: Beyond Overdiagnosis

The piece argues that rising mental-health diagnoses cannot be attributed to overdiagnosis alone; while self-diagnosis and casual use of mental-health language on social media contribute, increased awareness and reduced stigma encourage help-seeking and may inflate apparent rates, while genuine risk factors—economic insecurity, crises, and the after-effects of the pandemic—likely also play a role; a nuanced view recognizing multiple simultaneous factors is needed, and individuals’ distress must be believed and taken seriously.

via The Guardian|

#adhd #concept-creep #health

health1 year ago•2 min saved

Increase in Melanoma Cases Among Women Under 50

Melanoma cases are increasing among women under 50, largely due to UV exposure from sun and indoor tanning, although overdiagnosis may also play a role; skin cancer remains the most common and deadly in the U.S.

via Axios|

#health #melanoma #overdiagnosis

healthcare1 year ago•9 min saved

U.S. Medical System Overwhelmed by 'Numerical Epidemics'

The article discusses how the medical system's reliance on changing numerical thresholds for diagnoses like hypertension and kidney disease has led to widespread overdiagnosis and overtreatment, driven by broadening definitions and influenced by organizations, often without considering individual patient nuances or potential harms of aggressive treatment.

via statnews.com|

#blood-pressure #healthcare #medical-definitions

health-medicine2 years ago•3 min saved

"Study Suggests Prostate Cancer Screening Does More Harm Than Good"

A 15-year trial on prostate cancer screening using the PSA blood test found that while it had a small impact on reducing deaths, it also led to a worrying level of overdiagnosis, with one in six flagged cases being wrong. The study showed that the potential harms of the test, including unnecessary treatment and physical side effects, outweigh the benefits. Experts emphasize the need to find better ways to detect aggressive prostate cancers and are exploring alternatives such as MRI scans. The UK National Screening Committee does not currently recommend screening for prostate cancer due to the unclear balance between benefits and harms.

via The Telegraph|

#health-medicine #overdiagnosis #prostate-cancer

mental-health2 years ago•7 min saved

"Therapy's Role in Creating a Generation of 'Victims' and the Depression Epidemic"

The widespread use of therapy in America has raised concerns that it may be fueling the country's depression crisis by instilling a 'victim' mentality and fostering hyper-focus on feelings. The number of Americans seeking therapy has doubled in the past 20 years, with around a quarter of US adults visiting a therapist or psychiatrist in 2022. Experts worry that therapy may be overdiagnosing and overtreating everyday problems, leading to a paradox where more treatment availability does not correspond to a decrease in depression prevalence. There are concerns that therapy may be harming America's youth by encouraging excessive self-focus and reducing engagement with the world, potentially leading to a rise in mental health diagnoses and a lowering of the bar for mental illnesses.

via Daily Mail|

#depression #mental-health #overdiagnosis

health2 years ago•3 min saved

"Rising Melanoma Overdiagnoses Prompt Unnecessary Treatments"

A study suggests that over half of melanoma diagnoses in the U.S. may be unnecessary, particularly in White Americans, leading to unnecessary anxiety for patients. Increased awareness has led to more screenings and biopsies, but not necessarily a reduction in death rates. The study highlights the need for more precise diagnostic criteria and a reevaluation of how early-stage melanomas should be treated and communicated to patients.

via Verywell Health|

#diagnostic-criteria #health #healthcare-system

health2 years ago•4 min saved

"Understanding the Alarming Overdiagnosis of Melanoma"

Melanoma diagnoses have increased significantly in recent years, but experts believe that many of these cases are due to overdiagnosis rather than a true increase in the disease. A study suggests that a majority of people in the United States are receiving unnecessary melanoma diagnoses, leading to unnecessary treatments, financial costs, and emotional distress. Overdiagnosis is particularly common for thin moles on the outermost layer of the skin. There is a lack of scientific evidence supporting regular full-body skin checks, and experts recommend that individuals seek medical evaluation for any new or changing skin spots rather than undergoing routine screenings.

via National Geographic|

#biopsy #dermatology #health

health2 years ago•1 min saved

The Silent Epidemic: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome's Disappearing Act

The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome, a repetitive stress injury associated with office work, peaked in the late '80s and early '90s but has since lost relevance. Increased media coverage and less accurate diagnosis tools led to a boom in diagnoses, but cases among white collar workers quickly declined. The decline may be attributed to overdiagnosis, improved workplace ergonomics, and lighter-touch keyboards. However, a recent study suggests that the problem may still exist, with people underreporting their pain as they work from home and use new devices like smartphones.

via Newser|

#carpal-tunnel-syndrome #health #overdiagnosis

health2 years ago•3 min saved

Experts debunk TikTok claim that having a song stuck in your head is a sign of ADHD

Some TikTok users are claiming that having a song stuck in your head is a sign of ADHD, sparking a debate about overdiagnosis of the condition. ADHD, characterized by lack of attention and impulsivity, affects millions of Americans, with rates steadily increasing. However, experts argue that getting songs stuck in your head, known as "earworms," is a common phenomenon experienced by 90% of people and not indicative of ADHD. They emphasize that ADHD is a complex condition with a range of symptoms that manifest in various areas of life, and caution against self-diagnosis based on internet trends.

via Daily Mail|

#adhd #earworms #health

health2 years ago•6 min saved

Rethinking the Cancer Label: Not All Cases Are Created Equal

Two oncologists argue that the medical community needs to reconsider how we define and label certain early-stage cancers, as the current terminology often leads to unnecessary treatment, disfigurement, and psychological, relationship, and financial issues. They propose renaming very low-risk cancers to reflect their behavior more accurately, such as using terms like "indolent lesion of epithelial origin" or "preneoplasia" instead of the dreaded "C-word." By doing so, patients would be better informed about their condition and more likely to adopt monitoring and risk reduction strategies, reducing overtreatment and improving screening and prevention efforts.

via The New York Times|

#cancer #health #medical-ethics

health2 years ago•2 min saved

MRI Scans: A Game-Changer in Reducing Prostate Cancer Deaths

A UK study suggests that using MRI scans as a screening tool for prostate cancer could significantly reduce deaths from the disease. Current tests that detect the protein prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood have been linked to overdiagnosis and overtreatment of low-risk cancer. The study found that MRI scans were able to detect potentially serious cancers in men with lower PSA levels than the current screening benchmark. The researchers believe that implementing a national screening program using MRI scans could help reduce the UK's prostate cancer mortality rate within the next five to ten years.

via The Guardian|

#health #mortality-rate #mri-scanning