(NaturalNews) One in eight men screened for prostate cancer will be falsely diagnosed with the disease, according to a study reported in the British Journal of Cancer.
Routing screening for levels of the prostate specific antigen (PSA), a marker of prostate inflammation and a presumed prostate cancer risk factor, is not yet recommended in the European Union. The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer, currently underway in seven countries, is intended to gather research into whether the practice should be adopted.
Recent data from the study suggested that regular screening could reduce the disease's death rate by 20 percent. The most recent data from the Finnish part of the study is now raising questions as to the wider cost of that improved survival rate.
"While the European trial, of which this Finnish study is a part, showed for the first time that prostate screening with PSA can save lives, it also suggested that 48 men would have to be treated in order to save one life," said Julietta Patnick of the United Kingdom's National Health Service.
Prostate cancer screening has become increasingly controversial due to emerging evidence that the majority of prostate cancers are so slow growing that many men will die of other causes without ever suffering any symptoms. This has raised questions as to how many men are being over-treated with therapies that can carry serious side effects, including impotence and incontinence.
The new study suggests another problem: even with a relatively high PSA threshold, one in eight men screened in the study received a false positive result. Further complicating matters, the researchers found that men who had been falsely diagnosed became significantly less likely to undergo future screening, even though they are at higher risk of developing the disease.
"I don't think routine screening should be advised until more is known on the adverse effects and costs of screening," lead researcher Tuomas Kilpelainen said. "If a man has urinary tract symptoms and is concerned he could have prostate cancer, the most important thing is to consult a GP or a urologist."
Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.
Showing posts with label misdiagnosis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label misdiagnosis. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Doctors misdiagnose woman with HIV, hepatitis and herpes, destroying her marriage
(NaturalNews) A medical misdiagnosis by Harlem Hospital in New York has essentially ruined the marriage of a New Jersey couple. Gabriel Lezcano and Maria Osorio have filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the city hospital after Maria was mistakenly diagnosed with terminal HIV infection, hepatitis and herpes. The serious emotional trauma they both experienced from the ordeal left their marriage in shambles.
Back in February, Maria Osorio took advantage of a $15 mammogram screening special that she saw advertised on a television commercial. Following the examination, the nurse offered her a free blood test and swab test that came up positive for the three sexually transmitted diseases.
Devastated by the news, Osorio immediately confronted her husband of 37 years, accusing him of infidelity. He denied the claims, insisting that there must have been some mistake in the screening process. When Osorio questioned the hospital on the issue, doctors insisted that the test is foolproof and that it never makes a mistake.
Lezcano, distraught over his wife's mistrust of his faithfulness, tried continually to persuade her that he had not been with any other women. Osorio would not be convinced, eventually leading her to despise him. She even considered drowning herself in the ocean during their next summer vacation because she could not deal with the situation.
After three weeks of emotional turmoil, the couple received a call from the hospital notifying them that Osorio was perfectly healthy after all. Apart from one hospital secretary who personally apologized for the mistake, no formal apology was offered for the ordeal. The couple was shocked and relieved, but unfortunately much damage to their marriage had already been done.
Up until the point of the test, Osorio and Lezcano claimed to have had a very strong marriage. After the incident, the couple's relationship disintegrated. Osorio no longer trusted her husband and the couple began to sleep in separate rooms, relying heavily on sleeping pills in order to get adequate rest. Even though the situation was resolved, the couple has been unable to reunite their once strong bond. They continue to sleep separately, afraid to have any sort of sexual contact with one another.
The couple hopes that what they experienced will never again happen to anyone else. Their lawsuit against the hospital has been filed with the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan where it awaits a ruling. Harlem Hospital officials would not comment on the case.
Sources for this story include: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/...
Back in February, Maria Osorio took advantage of a $15 mammogram screening special that she saw advertised on a television commercial. Following the examination, the nurse offered her a free blood test and swab test that came up positive for the three sexually transmitted diseases.
Devastated by the news, Osorio immediately confronted her husband of 37 years, accusing him of infidelity. He denied the claims, insisting that there must have been some mistake in the screening process. When Osorio questioned the hospital on the issue, doctors insisted that the test is foolproof and that it never makes a mistake.
Lezcano, distraught over his wife's mistrust of his faithfulness, tried continually to persuade her that he had not been with any other women. Osorio would not be convinced, eventually leading her to despise him. She even considered drowning herself in the ocean during their next summer vacation because she could not deal with the situation.
After three weeks of emotional turmoil, the couple received a call from the hospital notifying them that Osorio was perfectly healthy after all. Apart from one hospital secretary who personally apologized for the mistake, no formal apology was offered for the ordeal. The couple was shocked and relieved, but unfortunately much damage to their marriage had already been done.
Up until the point of the test, Osorio and Lezcano claimed to have had a very strong marriage. After the incident, the couple's relationship disintegrated. Osorio no longer trusted her husband and the couple began to sleep in separate rooms, relying heavily on sleeping pills in order to get adequate rest. Even though the situation was resolved, the couple has been unable to reunite their once strong bond. They continue to sleep separately, afraid to have any sort of sexual contact with one another.
The couple hopes that what they experienced will never again happen to anyone else. Their lawsuit against the hospital has been filed with the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan where it awaits a ruling. Harlem Hospital officials would not comment on the case.
Sources for this story include: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/...
Friday, January 15, 2010
Trapped in a Coma for 23 Years, But Conscious the Whole Time
(NaturalNews) Rom Houben, a 46-year-old car crash victim, has recently come forward with his horrific experience of coma misdiagnosis. Doctors believed that Rom was in a coma when in fact he was conscious but unable to speak or move. For 23 years, he tried continually to alert his doctors about the fact that he was actually awake but was unable to ever make a sound.
Many coma tests were performed on Rom prior to doctors deciding that he was unconscious, yet somehow they inaccurately assessed his brain function and declared him brain-dead when he was fully conscious.
Dr. Steven Laureys, the neurological expert who saved Rom, revealed the story in a scientific paper that was published recently. Thanks to advances in technology since Rom was first diagnosed as being in a perpetual vegetative state, Rom was able to eventually type information into a computer that revealed his state of consciousness.
Dr. Laureys believes there are probably many people around the world who have been diagnosed as being in a coma when they may actually be conscious. This breakthrough story, as disturbing as it is, will have serious implications in the right-to-die debate. Since many people may have been and are currently being misdiagnosed in the same way that Rom was, there is a high possibility that people will needlessly die because they are thought to be permanently unconscious.
A similar story took place in Belgium where a paralyzed man was declared to be in a coma using the Glasgow Coma Scale. Every test conducted on him proved to be false when a secondary analysis at the University of Liege showed that he was fully awake. Though he remains in a hospital, he is able to use his computer to read books, talk to friends, and interact with the world.
Dr. Laureys study also questions the way in which doctors declare someone to be unconscious. Between 3,000 and 5,000 people a year who suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are declared to be in a coma. Once placed in this category, few are ever evaluated or tested again to verify the initial results. Rarely are people who have been declared to be in an unconscious state given any further treatment to try to improve their condition; they are primarily just given life support.
The comatose who have seen miraculous improvements, including 86-year-old Carrie Coons from New York, are perfect examples of why euthanasia and assisted suicide proponents need to reconsider their position. Just days after a judge had ruled that her family could take her off life-support, Coons regained consciousness, started eating and began conversing.
Sources for this story include: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...
Many coma tests were performed on Rom prior to doctors deciding that he was unconscious, yet somehow they inaccurately assessed his brain function and declared him brain-dead when he was fully conscious.
Dr. Steven Laureys, the neurological expert who saved Rom, revealed the story in a scientific paper that was published recently. Thanks to advances in technology since Rom was first diagnosed as being in a perpetual vegetative state, Rom was able to eventually type information into a computer that revealed his state of consciousness.
Dr. Laureys believes there are probably many people around the world who have been diagnosed as being in a coma when they may actually be conscious. This breakthrough story, as disturbing as it is, will have serious implications in the right-to-die debate. Since many people may have been and are currently being misdiagnosed in the same way that Rom was, there is a high possibility that people will needlessly die because they are thought to be permanently unconscious.
A similar story took place in Belgium where a paralyzed man was declared to be in a coma using the Glasgow Coma Scale. Every test conducted on him proved to be false when a secondary analysis at the University of Liege showed that he was fully awake. Though he remains in a hospital, he is able to use his computer to read books, talk to friends, and interact with the world.
Dr. Laureys study also questions the way in which doctors declare someone to be unconscious. Between 3,000 and 5,000 people a year who suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are declared to be in a coma. Once placed in this category, few are ever evaluated or tested again to verify the initial results. Rarely are people who have been declared to be in an unconscious state given any further treatment to try to improve their condition; they are primarily just given life support.
The comatose who have seen miraculous improvements, including 86-year-old Carrie Coons from New York, are perfect examples of why euthanasia and assisted suicide proponents need to reconsider their position. Just days after a judge had ruled that her family could take her off life-support, Coons regained consciousness, started eating and began conversing.
Sources for this story include: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...
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