LauraABJ comments on Action vs. inaction - Less Wrong

7 Post author: PhilGoetz 30 November 2009 06:10PM

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Comment author: LauraABJ 01 December 2009 01:29:24AM 3 points [-]

Of course they wouldn't give that as a justification. Look at the reaction of the BC community over the change in recommendation with the justification of unnecessary anxiety/morbidity-- do you imagine there'd be less outrage if the reported reason for changing the guideline was money? They were retarded enough to bring this up during the health-care debate as it is...

Comment author: PhilGoetz 10 December 2009 04:49:18PM 0 points [-]

To make the cost argument, you'd need to also present the cost differences caused by earlier detection of a small number of cancers. The cost of treating a single case might be greater than the cost of testing a thousand cases.

I suspect that the only way skipping early detection can be a win, cost-wise, is if it enables more people to die before they receive costly treatment.

Comment author: mattnewport 10 December 2009 07:28:06PM 1 point [-]

Early detection can also lead to overdiagnosis. The report discusses that as a factor in their decision.