 |
Books on Healing Cancer & Alternative Cancer Cures (V)
On the risks vs. benefits of cancer screening in healthy (asymptomatic) peopleA review of Dr. H. Gilbert Welch’s book “Should I Be Tested for Cancer? Maybe Not and Here's Why”by Healing Cancer Naturally © 2010 In spite of its casual-sounding title, this ground-breaking book is not written by some starry-eyed, unrealistic, out-of-touch dreamer who believes that by closing his eyes, bothersome things such as the issue of cancer will just disappear. Nor is it written by some kind of hippie who believes that as long as something is anti-establishment and opposite to what "normal" straight people do, it must be the right thing. No, this book is the brainchild of a man with excellent credentials, physician Gilbert Welch, professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, researcher and accomplished author of articles published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the New England Journal of Medicine and other respected medical organs. And “Should I Be Tested for Cancer? Maybe Not and Here's Why” is published by the University of California Press (and has even received a favorable review in JAMA). For decades, the ACS (American Cancer Society) and similar organisations have successfully campaigned for every person (from a certain age onward) to be tested for various forms of cancer via mammography, PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, colonoscopy, PAP smears, fecal occult test, etc. supposedly to allow cancer to be detected early, the rationale being that cancer caught early is not lethal. But apparently, a cancer typically considered lethal is generally not caught early (unless one is ready to be tested every other day). So-called lethal cancers are typically highly aggressive and will have already spread by the time the patient is screened. What screening as usual is good at is catching cancers* which grow slowly (if at all) and are likely to never kill you. * with the additional qualification that the very definition of cancer is not without ambiguity Enter Dr. Welch. Based upon orthodox (published) medical literature, extensive numerical data and statistical analyses, case histories, and his own practice as a physician, he succinctly yet comprehensively reviews the challenges and risks involved in cancer testing as implemented by current medical technology. His conclusion: cancer screening is not worth doing since it likely will do more harm than good and shows very little benefit (if any at all) in terms of life expectancy or lives saved, the very factors it is supposed to beneficially influence. For instance, in spite of more prostate and breast cancer being detected at early stages, the death rate for prostate cancer has remained unchanged while the rate of late-stage breast cancer has actually increased over a period of 25 years. Here are more “explosive” details of the revelations you will find in “Should I Be Tested for Cancer? Maybe Not and Here's Why” (some of these are actual chapter headings).
In spite of the complex subject matter, Dr. Welch manages to convey his well-reasoned and documented arguments in a readable style. The numerous enthusiastic reviews of his courageous establishment-challenging book testify to his book hitting an important nerve.
by Dr. H. Gilbert Welch
You can support this site at no extra cost to you by buying this book (or other items) through Healing Cancer Naturally’s Amazon links and take advantage of Amazon’s (often) low prices.
Related information Alternative diagnostic methods
Also see Alternative Cancer Therapy Books written by doctors, scientists & researchers
|
|
Disclaimer • Welcome • Why Alternatives ? • Alternative Cancer Therapy Books
If you feel you have been helped by the contents of this site, you can contribute to its work by giving as little as $5.00, or in other easy ways involving no financial cost to you. Click here for details.
Dedicated to Joyful Healing
Paradise Now
|
Should I Be Tested for Cancer? Maybe Not and Here's Why
