Most Active Stories Valley Public Radio Staff Shots - Health
Blog Thu September 6, 2012 How Americans Think About Screening
Originally published on Thu September 13, 2012 8:28 am An ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure, Ben Franklin wrote. But
that was before he had to consider the risks and benefits of
screening tests for cancers of the breast and prostate. There
are conflicting guidelines on when women should get mammograms
and mounting questions on when the PSA blood test for prostate
cancer is worthwhile. Yes, early detection can help in many
cases, but there are also false alarms and unnecessary
treatments, too. So how are people doing when it comes to
sorting through information about screening? We asked in the
latest NPR-Truven Health Analytics Health Poll. More than three-
quarters of women 40 and older said they knew about guidelines
for mammograms. In that group, a little more than half said the
guidelines had an influence on their decision to get tested.
Among women who hadn't had mammogram