"One of those gems to come out of the academic press... If you're worried about cancer, this lucidly argued book will be a godsend."--The Week

H. Gilbert Welch, M.D., M.P.H., is Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School and Codirector of the VA Outcomes Group in the Department of Veterans Affairs, White River Junction, Vermont.

Acknowledgments Introduction: The conventional wisdom about cancer testing and what this book is about PART I. PROBLEMS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT 1. It is unlikely that you will benefit 2. You may have a "cancer scare" and face an endless cycle of testing 3. You may receive unnecessary treatment 4. You may find a cancer you would rather not know about 5. Your pathologist may say it's cancer, while others say it's not 6. Your doctor may get distracted from other issues that are more important to you PART II. BECOMING A BETTER-EDUCATED CONSUMER 7. Understand the culture of medicine (and why we are pushed to test) 8. Understand the statistics of cancer (and why five-year survival is the world's most misleading number) 9. Understand the limits to research--even genetic research (and why it is hard to be sure there really are benefits to screening) 10. Develop a strategy that works for you Appendix: Summary of cancers discussed in this book Glossary Notes Index