Should I be tested for cancer? : maybe not and here's why / H. Gilbert Welch.

Berkeley : University of California Press, [2004], ©2004.

x, 224 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-218) and index.

Pt. I. Problems you should know about. -- It is unlikely that you will benefit -- You may have a "cancer scare" and face an endless cycle of testing -- You may receive unnecessary treatment -- You may find a cancer you would rather not know about -- Your pathologist may say it's cancer, while others say it's not -- Your doctor may get distracted from other issues that are more important to you -- Pt. II. Becoming a better-educated consumer -- Understand the culture of medicine (and why we are pushed to test) -- Understand the statistics of cancer (and why five-year survival is the world's most misleading number -- Understand the limits to research; even genetic research (and why it is hard to be sure there really are benefits to screening -- Develop a strategy that works for you.