I am extremely against unnecessary screening for illness and disease in medicine. In OBGYN offices, it is common practice to begin screening for cervical cancer at the age of 21 once every three years. That means that if a woman reaches the average age of death in America, 81, that is 20 pap smears. Twenty internal investigations into her body and twenty horribly awkward experiences. I recently dived into research regarding the new debate that is arguing pap tests are over performed for their aid in medical treatment. It was found that although in general cervical cancer deaths dropped when pap smears became regularly checked, when case studies of pap smear discovered cervical cancer was looked into, their benefits seemed much less evident. One case in particular involved a woman being diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer after every previous pap result had been cleared negative and she died shortly later. When the family investigated the fault of her death, it was shown that the two or three pap tests prior to the first diagnosis of cancer were both identified as positive for cervical cancer. It wasn't that the results were not properly reported to the patient, it was that the analyst had cleared the images with little attention or care. If this cancer is so dangerous and probable in occurring that it is screened for your whole life after the age of 20, why were the outcomes not treated with that same importance and weight? The answer is allusive, but the problem remains that these tests are rendered useless when the results are quantified appropriately, and it begs the question if the invasiveness is worth the time. A similar yet different argument exists for me and x-rays. I understand that x-rays are extremely usefull in identifying issues in bone structure and teeth that can help solve and treat unknown problems for many patients. I however found myself in the dentist chair and the assistant requested x-rays with the reasoning for performing the x-ray being "Your insurance allows us to every year". I made clear I had no pain in my jaw and did not experience any discomfort that might lead to the suggestion of a cavity, and yet it was requested to be done. Here. the basis of treatment relied on what the insurance was willing to pay for, and the dentist wanted to reach the maximum amount of profit from my dental plan. This was completely besides that fact that x-rays can cause DNA damage and radiation leading to cancer and death. I might sound dramatic for saying a dentist looking at my molars could kill me, but the possibility exists. And yet the safety and wishes of the patient were thrown out the window for profit. I of course refused and the assistant handed me a brochure about x-rays to "help educate" me. No, you are not getting my money to spam the oral cavity next to my brain with DNA damaging rays.
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