The drug policy researcher and author Alan Cassels discusses his new book Seeking Sickness: Medical Screening and the Misguided Hunt for Disease (Greystone, 2012), with Joseph Planta.
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Seeking Sickness: Medical Screening and the Misguided Hunt for Disease by Alan Cassels (Greystone, 2012).
Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Seeking Sickness [1] |
Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:
I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.
Medical screening is in vogue right now. You hear about diagnostic testing all the time, claiming that finding results faster can lead you to better medical treatment. Alan Cassels joins me now. He’s a noted author and drug policy researcher at the University of Victoria. He’s written a new book, Seeking Sickness: Medical Screening and the Misguided Hunt for Disease. It’s a compelling, timely book, that looks at how the world of medical screening, those in the business of overpromising on benefits, but who often gloss over some of the harms. We’ve seen recently the guidelines on testing for breast cancer and prostate cancer change. We’ll ask Mr. Cassels to tell us why, and what we should think about when we’re a little too proactive in our preventative care. Is a pound of prevention worth more than an ounce of cure? What kind of prevention do we really need? How do we spot those in the medical industry who are motivated by profit? Are we really increasing our potential for harm? Alan Cassels has co-written a number of books including Selling Sickness. This book is published by Greystone. www.alancassels.com [2] is the website for more. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in Victoria this day, Alan Cassels; Mr. Cassels, good morning.
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