A diagnosis of cancer, no matter how insignificant it may be sometimes, is all it takes to trigger a chain of reactions, from the patient to the doctor, usually from the belief of benefits from
early treatment. This is not always true, as had been shown, particularly with expected morbidities. But the belief so deeply embedded among patients concerning cancer makes it hard makes it hard for physicians to offer a more rational course of action. On top of that, physicians also have to protect themselves from doing nothing, knowing the legal burdens they bear if they choose not to acquisce to what their patients have been led to believe all these years.

Perhaps, as one of the reports suggests, we need to issue some guidelines which we can disseminate to the public with the idea of pointing out the limits of early cancer screening, and which tests are beneficial as opposed to those which are not.

We indeed need a more balanced view of the situation, but the big question remains: Will that play well with the public and trial lawyers? If not, overtesting is here to stay.

And if I were I doctor, any patient who tried to strong arm me into unecessary treatment would become an ex-patient. Alas, I am only a programmmer and have to put up with all sorts of crap from customers who think they know my job better than me.