- Joined
- Jul 12, 2004
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I hope you guys can read this. A story about a person getting a prostate biopsy that resulted in septicemia when all along he felt it wasn't necessary, but went along with it nonetheless.
These kinds of stories irritate me. The notion that "I know my body and I don't have 'X'", "I should have listened to my gut instinct" when doctors have gone to school, residency, and have taken care of thousands of patients with the same complaint and have tremendous, advanced experience dealing with possible prostate cancer. Three urologists recommended a prostate biopsy. What if the pt got 5 second opinions? 10? What if the pt talked to 50 Urologists and 47 of 50 recommended a prostate biopsy?
On the other hand, the system is set up so poorly in that I believe we often don't treat the whole patient. We are super-subspecialized. Time-crunched. Incentivized by procedures (and I don't believe that decisions on an individualized basis are overtly subjected to this bias.)
This guy was so sure of himself...yet he even quoted a 70% chance of not having prostate cancer. That's it. 30% chance he did.
I also loved reading the comments....so many people are pissed off at the health care system. Only a few said "I'm glad I got a biopsy becuase I caught prostate cancer early."