Medical researcher: Support A new screening test detects certain polyps at such an early stage that it is generally unclear whether the polyps are malignant. βββ βββ ββββ ββββ β βββββ βββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββ ββββββ ββ ββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββ ββ β βββββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββββββ ββββ βββ βββ ββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββ βββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ
The author concludes that the screening test can prompt operations that arenβt medically necessary. The reasoning is that while the screening test can detect polyps, it typically cannot tell whether they are malignant. But doctors usually still have the polyps removed, resulting in some non-malignant polyps being removed.
An assumption is that removing polyps that turn out to be non-malignant isnβt medically necessary. We know that removing polyps is a dangerous process and that some polyps turn out to be non-malignant. But we donβt know what makes something medically necessary. It might be that removing the non-malignant polyps is itself medically necessary β maybe even the non-malignant polyps can be harmful.
Analysis by Finnbar.Kiely
Which one of the following ββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ
A surgical operation ββββ ββ βββββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββ β βββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββ ββββ ββββββββββ
Surgical removal of ββββββββββββ ββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ ββ βββ ββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββ
If the new βββββββββ ββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββ ββββββ βββ ββ ββββ ββ βββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββββββββ
A polyp detected ββ βββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββββ βββββββ ββ ββ ββ ββββββββββ
The screening test ββ βββββββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββββββ β βββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ