If you're interested in how our ability to detect cancers (and other diseases like diabetes and osteoporosis) has surged ahead of our ability to know when treatment is effective, I highly recommend Overdiagnosed by Welch, Schwartz, and Woloshin.
Right now medical science seems to be at an uncomfortable phase with certain diseases where we can't be sure our treatments will have a greater benefit than the cost of the treatments— and not just in terms of price, but at the expense of our health itself.
Right now medical science seems to be at an uncomfortable phase with certain diseases where we can't be sure our treatments will have a greater benefit than the cost of the treatments— and not just in terms of price, but at the expense of our health itself.
http://www.amazon.com/Overdiagnosed-Making-People-Pursuit-He...