HOW TO SKEW STATS, KOMEN STYLE

Kudos to Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz.  Who the hell are those people??  They are professors and they tore into an ad that was run by Komen last October.  Normally, I prefer to go right to the source and read it for myself BUT, I refuse to pay $30.00 to access the article.  So, I'll have to stick with CNN and their interpretation of the study.

The misleading ad claimed that the five year survival rate when detected early is 98% and when not detected early, it's 23%.  Of course, the purpose of the ad was to push their agenda.  What seems to be their only agenda:  Mammography.

No DOUBT mammography screening and early detection are the best tools we have but we should be in a much different place with all of this.  I love the quote from Komen.  When they were called out on their bullshit, they just spewed and skewed......

"We've said for years that science has to do better, which is why Komen is putting millions of dollars into research to detect breast cancer before symptoms start -- through biomarkers, for example," said Portteus.

I guess Portteus missed the memo from ABIM about Choosing Wisely.  Oncology chose FIVE tests (across ALL tests for ALL cancers) and guess which test is suggested as one that should not be used or is being over-used?  Check Test #4.

I'd love to dig a bit deeper into this discussion but I'm distracted by other "stuff."  Some of my twitter pals know what's on my mind but it's not up for blog discussion.  Yet.

All I know?  Professors Woloshin and Schwartz are on their game with breaking down the numbers.  I'm buying their book.....I want to Know My Chances.

And you?  You should be buying Gayle Sulik's book.  Here's what SHE has to say about this whole situation.  She's the expert and if you are only going to click one link, this is the one to click.  Gayle explains this on her blog far better than I could EVER hope to do:  Pink Ribbon Blues