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Re:Trial of a blood test that detects eight common forms of ... by rocqua on Friday January 19, 2018 @03:41PM (#16189593)
If there is no way to determine whether a growth is malignant, we are fucked any way. Certainly, this is not the point of a screening test.

Screening tests are about cheaply directing further testing.

Re:Trial of a blood test that detects eight common forms of ... by vidarh on Saturday January 20, 2018 @03:41AM (#16192636)
It is often possible, but not always. The problem is that for cancer even a lot of that testing is either inconclusive and/or harmful in itself. So for every false positive, and even positive tests where the tumor will never harm the patient, there is a chance of active harm being done. Including causing death.

Early screening will occasionally save some. The question is whether it will save enough to make up for that harm if we increase the frequency of testing.