l’industria del cancro della prostata, ovvero della inutilità del dosaggio del PSA

l’industria del cancro della prostata, ovvero della inutilità del dosaggio del PSA

Pubblicato il 27 ottobre 2011 da Sabino Berardino

beh, non lo dico io: lo afferma una prestigiosa rivista di economia inglese, the Economist (articolo integrale, in inglese Difference Engine: Blissful ignorance).
MEN in America, Europe and other developed regions of the world have a 16% chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lives—and yet they have only a 3% chance of dying from the disease. Despite the statistics, an industry has grown up around treating prostate cancer which, in most cases, would be best left well alone. The problem is finding the few instances where the cancer is aggressive enough to spread. Unfortunately, lacking better diagnostics, 48 men have to be needlessly treated—at considerable discomfort and possible change in lifestyle for the worse—so that one man’s life may be spared.