eli5- Why cant we including cancer screening with our annual physical every year?

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Every year in the US most americans get an annual physical from our doctor if we have insurance. It usually consists of getting some bloodwork done, vitals basic questions etc. Then going over those results and any concerns you may have and nothing else.

I always hear those horror stories of people just all of a sudden being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and theres nothing that can be done. Maybe im missing something.

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14 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

You can if you’re willing to pay $3K for a full body MRI! The downside is it will pick up a lot of false positives (random gray areas) that will need to be biopsied which can be stressful, expensive, and painful for no reason

Anonymous 0 Comments

I think we’re getting there with genetic tests like Galleri, but we’re still a long way from them becoming routine, as they’re expensive and not generally covered by insurance. The cost will eventually come down to mainstream levels, but as others have pointed out, false results are still a possibility.

Anonymous 0 Comments

US medicine is fee-for-service business. Hospitals and physicians are getting much more money from treating a disease than from preventing a disease, regardless of outcomes, in most cases.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Cancer screening costs money.
Insurance companies don’t want to pay for anything.
Various groups recommend screening after a certain age.
You are free to get tested whenever you like
Your insurance may not cover it