Prevention is worse than the disease

No doubt you’ve heard the phrase “the cure is worse than the disease.” To that we can now add a new homily: “the prevention is worse than the disease.” In at least one case anyway.

This was my reaction to an astonishing article from the Belfast Telegraph sent to me by an HSI member named Michael. A Queen’s University study in Ulster, Ireland, found that women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer have an extremely high lifetime risk of developing those cancers. The researchers estimate that one in 500 women are in this dangerous risk group. Their solution: to prevent cancer, these women should have their breasts and ovaries removed.

One of the researchers, Dr. Paul Harkin, cleared up a key point, stating, “It’s important to emphasize that the choice lies with the women themselves.”

What a relief! I was afraid he was going to say it was mandatory.

I searched around the Internet, but couldn’t find a full report of the study available. I just wanted to check and see if there were any female scientists involved in this study. I can’t help but think that the answer to that is probably, “no.”

Gentlemen, let’s hope these scientists don’t conduct similar studies on people who have a family history of prostate or testicular cancers.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Source:
“Drastic Cure for Cancer” Nigel Gould, the Belfast Telegraph, 9/27/02