Episode 107 - Challenging Traditional Narratives: The True Impact of Cancer Screenings

Lifetime Gained with Commonly Used Cancer Screening Tests. The diamonds indicate point estimates of life daysgained or lost for wach screening test. Left and right arrows indicate 95% CI’s. CT = computed tomography, FOBT = fecal occult blood testing, and PSA = prostate specific antigen (image excerpt form the study, see footnote)

This groundbreaking research delves into the effectiveness of cancer screenings, challenging the long-held belief that "screening saves lives."¹ While not advocating for the abandonment of all screenings, the study emphasizes the importance of balance, transparency, and informed choices.

Based on the research, sigmoidoscopy for colorectal cancer emerged as the most effective screening method, demonstrating a significant gain in lifetime by approximately 110 days. On the other hand, mammography for breast cancer, prostate-specific antigen testing for prostate cancer, colonoscopy for colorectal cancer, and fecal occult blood testing did not show a significant extension in life, making them less impactful in terms of longevity benefits when compared to sigmoidoscopy.

1. Bretthauer, M., Wieszczy, P., Løberg, M., Kaminski, M.F., Helsingen, L.M., Mori, Y., Holme, Ø., Adami, H.O., Kalager, M., et al. "Estimated Lifetime Gained With Cancer Screening Tests." JAMA Internal Medicine, Published online August 28, 2023. © 2023 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.