SAGE ADVICE FROM THE AARP (of all places)

Where the heck is this?

Looks like the Appalachians, but was she ever there?

 

From time to time over the last several years I have mulled over the collateral problems that arise from attempts to detect various cancers in their early – usually most curable – stage.  At first glance, early detection would seem to be an unmitigated blessing - it saves lives.  And it would be an unmitigated blessing if these “early warning” tests were 100% reliable, but of course they’re not.  False positives are inevitable (these are human procedures, after all), and false positives almost inevitably give rise to needless worry and expense.  Sometimes these collateral difficulties can be so severe that august bodies like the USPSTF recommend against the procedure except under special circumstances (see my first prostate cancer blog:

http://ljb-quiltcutie.blogspot.com/2012/03/for-men-only-prostate-cancer-wars.html

 and a good many – probably too many – follow-ups).  Because of these cautions, any advice that can lower costs and reduce anxiety is welcome.  So – AARP brings you this piece of wisdom, courtesy of Linda’s sister Carolyn.   All women should read it; you never know when it will come in handy.

8. Follow-up ultrasounds for small ovarian cysts

Many women receive repeated ultrasounds to verify that ovarian cysts have not become cancerous, but current research says that these tests aren't necessary. For one thing, premenopausal women have harmless ovarian cysts regularly. For another, about 20 percent of postmenopausal women also develop harmless cysts.

"The likelihood of these small simple cysts ever becoming cancer is exceedingly low," says Deborah Levine, chair of the American College of Radiology Commission on Ultrasound and a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School.

In postmenopausal women, only cysts larger than 1 centimeter in diameter need a follow-up ultrasound. For premenopausal women, who typically have benign cysts every month when they ovulate, cysts smaller than 3 centimeters aren't even worth mentioning in the radiologist's report, says Levine.

Here is the link:  http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2014/choosing-wisely-medical-tests-to-avoid.3.html

The quotation above is #8 on this list, but the other 9 are worth reading, too.

My shingles are better, and the Seahawks pulled it out.