"Critics will argue that this translates into a benefit for only one in 1,400 men, while around one in 30 men were harmed because they had to deal with the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer that would never otherwise have caused any problem."
Andriole et al (2009): U.S. results of Prostate Screening, NEJM
Schröder et al (2009): European results of Prostate Screening, NEJM
I don't think I've covered prostate cancer before, which struck me as desperately unfair when I considered that I've covered menstrual-based differences several times (examples). Now, I don't think the problem implicated here is unique to men; for example, I have serious doubts about the risk-benefit ratio for some of the HPV tests available to women, and aggressively advertised on TV and in magazines.
edit: Please see comments for discussion of HPV Vaccine risks.
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8 comments:
[info]kementari2
2009-03-19 02:27 pm UTC
I asked my doctor about the HPV vaccine and he said he really didn't recommend it, given the risks and side effects that studies are now showing.
differenceblog.com
2009-03-19 02:32 pm UTC
Now, the risks of the "HPV test" vs. the "HPV vaccine" are two different kettles of fish. What risks had your doctor heard about the vaccine? I hadn't heard any, and I would still recommend it to anyone who could get their doctor to administer it.
[info]differenceblog
2009-03-19 02:58 pm UTC
I hadn't heard anything about Gardasil side effects, and so I did a quick google. I wonder if this was what your doctor was thinking of:
CBS story on accusations of adverse Gardasil reactions.
Now, what I consider the most telling part of this report is the CDC's statement that Gardasil has a 7% serious adverse effects reporting rate: about half of what other vaccines get. Maybe it's the whole vaccines-and-autism-paranoia, but I tend to feel like there's an irrational bias against vaccines in the media, and I'm probably overly protective of them.
From the other side: I acknowledge that vaccines are big business, and that there are a lot of powerful entities with a vested interest in keeping them labelled as "safe".
Who can you trust about this? I probably err on the pro-vaccine side, but the anecdata presented on the anti-vaccine side is sort of the opposite of convincing for me.
kementari2
2009-03-19 03:00 pm UTC
Ah, I misread what you wrote. I don't remember the risks he mentioned, unfortunately. It might have been something like accidental transmission of HPV, or like how the anthrax vaccine did more harm than good? But I'm really not sure. Sorry to spew forth such reference-less claims, but that's all I remember from what my doctor told me. It didn't seem like a huge scandal or anything, just a dilemma between risks either way.
@Kementari:
oh, no problem: I have kind of a hard-on about how bad humans are at risk-assessment in general. My concerns about the HPV test are also based on a nearly-referenceless claim by my doctor about why I shouldn't get the test: If I had the HPV test and got an abnormal result, I would have to have follow-up biopsies and other invasive and painful procedures.
... And since most people who have been sexually active have at least one strain of HPV, it's nearly guaranteed I'd have an "abnormal" test result.
HPV test
kementari2
2009-03-19 03:18 pm UTC
Looking around, I also found this article. If you mostly discount the "I'm not claiming there's a conspiracy, but..." part in the middle and the inane reader comments, the rest of it is interesting and seems to present more actual numbers and chemistry than most other mainstream public material on the vaccine from either side.
differenceblog.com
2009-03-19 03:37 pm UTC
Hrm. I tend to discount it because it's on a "Natural Health" website, which means that they have a business interest in turning people away from "Western" Medicine, but I haven't read the article yet, so I will try to keep an open mind.
Umm...What are you talking about? Most people don't have one or more strain of the HPV virus, infact in very sexually active adults the rates are about 50%, maybe higher if your only talking about exposure...but then again the virus can only be detected in women unless the man is showing signs, legions, and those only appear with certain strains. So basically, what most studies show, is if youve been with more than 4-5 partners you run a much higher risk of exposure but not necessarily contracted the Virus if you used safe sex. You do need to be careful because you don't need genital contact to catch the disease, but your not going to get it unless you exchange fluids or through open sores...so a condom will protect most of the time, unless one partner has a sore on their thigh and the juice can transfer through skin giving you the virus. What you really ought to be worried about is this notion that you can clear the virus after a couple of years without symptoms. The Virus doesn't go away, it may not be detected on tests, because viruses are notorious for hiding in the body. I repeat, regardless of what most health professionals will tell you, you are not going to get rid of the virus through your immune system, it simply hides in your body and can still be transfered to a partner, or even children or strangers if you have the virus in your skin or mouth. What you should be worried about is the fact that antibodies are created from vaccines buy injecting an individual with a weakened version of the virus...these antibodies do nothing more than boost your immune system so your body can tolerate the virus, it doesn't actually eliminate the virus from your body. Oh and by the way, the reason most doctors don't tell you this is because they figure youve already been exposed or that you will be exposed, simply because 50% of 16-35 yr olds have the hpv virus and it has no cure....oh and for your info, all my info comes from my father, an obgyn
@anonymous:
All warts are caused by a strain of the Human Papilloma virus, and most people have a wart at least some point in childhood. It sounds like you're confusing HSV (herpes simplex virus) with HPV.
Lesions and warts aren't the same thing, for one thing. Warts (the visible signs of HPV) are transmitted by skin flakes, not expelled fluids, like herpes lesions.
You may want to check out the Planned Parenthood fact page on HPV, which I think is really good place to start.
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