What are disadvantages of being screened for a disease?

There are several factors to the downside of testing. First, there is the added cost of screening tests -- to you and to your insurance company. Second, there is the emotional energy that is spent on false-positive results. Eventually, false-positive results will be discovered and the patient informed. However, there may be days to weeks of needless worry before the true diagnosis is made. Finally, there sometimes is a real question about the benefit of early diagnosis. The idea behind screening tests is that early diagnosis and treatment will lead to better outcomes. However, diagnosing an illness early does not always lead to better outcomes. Prostate cancer screening is an example. Testing for prostate cancer has not been shown to help men live significantly longer than they would without screening.

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