Too Aggressive Medicine?

The diagnosis of cancer is frightening. The most obvious reaction is to opt for the most high-tech, most advanced and more often the most aggressive treatment.

But, is this approach doing more harm than good? I chance upon the table above on 5 treatment options for prostate cancer with significantly different cost implications, side-effects without significant differential outcome.

Most people do not die from prostate cancer. Reports seems to point to the fact that most people can carry prostate cancer for rather long period of time and when they do die, the reason is seldom prostate cancer but other causes. Given such prognosis, evidence seems to suggest that "Watchful Waiting" that cost $2400 produces similar outcome to highly aggressive Proton Beam therapy costing $50,000. Think about it.

I also chance upon a "Status Update" from a fellow Facebooker this week. She updated "could I have brain tumour? How could I have headache for so long?" For most headache, we could sleep it out - cost is $0. Alternatively, we could take 2 paracetamol and the cost is $0.20. For more aggressive diagnosis, we could get a CT scan and pay $700. On average would outcome be significantly better? Guess not.

We need better evidence to support the treatment that modern healthcare prescribes...