The Olden College Days

 We studied then what was the clinical history of psychological classification. The various levels, as I recall answering on some test or exam, were Idiot, Imbecile, and Moron. We use the term idiot inappropriately, as an insult,  to refer to "stupid" behavior or ideas to which we're opposed. We call fools imbeciles, though clinically they probably don't fit the definition. But maybe the classification of moron is underused. It seems a number of them are posing as normal or above.

 A recent visit to a doctor resulted in her saying that many diagnoses of breast cancer are "over-diagnosed." I asked her to explain and she cited "statistics" that showed not as many deaths due to breast cancer as projected following breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, with the conclusion  being that many of those who had been treated for breast cancer did not really have it. They were over-diagnosed, inaccurately  it seems. 

   But, asked I, what if the unexpectedly low incidences of deaths from breast cancer were the result of better treatments for the disease, rather than false diagnoses.   "Hmmm"

Post Script:  I can't recall a single case of a person mis-diagnosed for breast cancer, but then if they had been treated for breast cancer and are now dead, even if from another cause, who could say they had not been breast cancer positive at some point?  And why am I hearing this in a medical office? My only sister died after an almost 15 year struggle with breast cancer, when it had spread to her brain, despite vigorous treatment. I myself had a full year of 3 surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, followed by prescribed drugs,  for a Triple Negative horror story.  It is true each of us had to convince our doctors of our concerns, my sister too late to get early, possibly life-preserving treatment. Even back then, doctors may have been influenced by  insurance company greed to be wary of providing "unnecessary" treatment. Those entities who fund the  drivel looking into "over-diagnosing" breast cancer could do better by pouring their funding into  research and more successful treatment.  I guess it's the source of the funding that drives the final result. Those who pay have  the say.