Current confusion on cancer screening

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Dr David Agus @cbsthismorning talks about the current confusion over breast cancer and prostate cancer screening. #PreventCancer.  My parents generation always thought that any kind of cancer meant Death.  There are so many kinds of cancer   that people are finding early from prevention screening.

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Lots of new/modified recommendations on cancer screening in the last several years.  Some folks believe it is part of a conspiracy others say otherwise.  My sister (a very talented doctor known throughout the medical community in two states) who has two years on me was telling me how a panel in her state was formed (she was part of it) that was tasked with determining which procedures were deemed economically viable depending upon many factors.  Age of patient was the primary but there were many others as well.  I.E. don't waste money doing a procedure as they don't have enough life left in a certain demographic to make it worth while economically.  Some of the doctors involved had a real hard time being part of it. Some quit the panel, others stayed to try to inject some sanity and ethics.  Medicine has become an economic commodity in some cases. 
As to prostate screening.  There are a lot of discussions on it. 

The PSA test can be effected by many outside factors some of which you have control over and some you don't.  Many urologists state categorically that is not true others say otherwise and pull out the studies to show it.  Many doctors are not aware of some of the data available, others are.  You can have elevated levels without having a problem.  You can have a problem without elevated levels.  It is a screening tool, it is not a final answer.  How you/the doctor deal with the resulting reading is what is important.  It used to be if you had an elevated report they recommended a biopsy, not necessarily the recommendation of today.  Trend data is important.  Without trend data why bother.

Edit added 14 hours later

14 hours after I posted the above I read an article that states:
A US government advisory panel has reversed its opposition to a controversial prostate cancer screening test for men aged 55 to 69, according to draft recommendations published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association

The previous recommendation made by the government panel that PSA tests were no longer needed I guess was done because they were visually looking for an inflamed prostate and thus were limited in what they could see from where their head was. ;D ;D :laugh:

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October is Breast Cancer awareness month . . The George Washington Bridge was light up Pink last night , maybe you will see other things pink this month.

[Stuart Caruk]

In 2002 I was told to go home and get my affairs in order...

Then later told I'd never make it out of 2004.

In 2006 they said I had kidney cancer and was unlikely to survive until surgery.

In 2016 my reduced kidney function following surgery in 2006 finally caught up with me and my liver and kidneys quit. I figured I was still fine. Upon checking into the hospital they gave me a couple days, maybe a week without a transplant. A week later I walked out of the hospital.

After 3 or 4 months of in and out of the hospital, dialysis, about every test they can do to a guy and then do some two or 3 times just for good measure I ended up on the transplant list, then shortly after that got an infection and ultimately became to sick to transplant. I suspect the loss of their $1.6 million fee made them decide I was still a real good candidate (funny that), and that I would surely be dead in a day or two without a transplant. Turns out they were right that time... but yet, here I am. I strongly believe cancer is not a death sentence. It's often in the patients attitude. The doctors want to keep you alive, heck you're a cash cow after all. They may not want to kill you, but I also believe they don't particularily want to cure you. Turns out a transplant guarantees them a constant revenue stream...