Talking to patients about cancer screening cessation
Menée aux Etats-Unis par entretiens auprès de 45 personnes âgées de plus de 65 ans (âge moyen : 75,7 ans), cette étude analyse leurs opinions et préférences relatives à l'information sur l'opportunité d'arrêter un dépistage du cancer en fonction de leur espérance de vie
There has been a growing realization that many individuals who have advanced illness or multiple medical conditions continue to receive cancer screening that is unlikely to benefit them. Such screening tests may also cause burden owing to the cascade of interventions that follows a positive test result and the burdens of the tests themselves. This has led to an important movement to stop unnecessary cancer screening by considering risks and benefits for individual patients and communicating effectively with the patient when the benefits no longer outweigh the risks.1,2 Screening guidelines are also beginning to consider when cancer screening should be individualized based on factors such as age, comorbidity, or life expectancy. Other guidelines note that evidence is insufficient to recommend a screening test for those older than a certain age.
JAMA Internal Medicine , commentaire, 2016