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heblaj01 · 03-09-2007, 09:08 PM

Thanks a lot,Joe, for this post. It clarifies a number of points.
I think that even if the trial by Dr Rousseau on screening periodically for brain tumors fails to extend overall survival, her reasoning for the real benefits of that screening for those who develop these tumors overshadow the arguments of the skeptics.
It may, at this time, be true as stated in the article,that patients with brain tumors have also metastases in other parts of the body & that the disease is then incurable & that treating symptoms does not improve overall survival.
But patients with bone or liver metastases can be treated & have many years of acceptable quality of life.
That cannot be said of patients with brain tumours whose life may either be drastically shortened or reduced to a condition similar to a severe stroke.
So between abstaining from screening to avoid suffering anxiety & risking the suffering associated with the late discovery of symptomatic brain tumors, the choice should be clear.

03-09-2007, 09:08 PM	#2
heblaj01 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 543	Thanks a lot,Joe, for this post. It clarifies a number of points. I think that even if the trial by Dr Rousseau on screening periodically for brain tumors fails to extend overall survival, her reasoning for the real benefits of that screening for those who develop these tumors overshadow the arguments of the skeptics. It may, at this time, be true as stated in the article,that patients with brain tumors have also metastases in other parts of the body & that the disease is then incurable & that treating symptoms does not improve overall survival. But patients with bone or liver metastases can be treated & have many years of acceptable quality of life. That cannot be said of patients with brain tumours whose life may either be drastically shortened or reduced to a condition similar to a severe stroke. So between abstaining from screening to avoid suffering anxiety & risking the suffering associated with the late discovery of symptomatic brain tumors, the choice should be clear.