Adults
Confused About Health Screenings, Poll Shows
Most
Know Tests Are Needed, But Not Enough Are Following Guidelines
According to a
recent Gallup poll, a large percentage
of Americans surveyed are confused about health testing and
most are not following national guidelines.
While 98 percent of
those polled believe screening for cancer or cholesterol does
save lives, a much smaller percentage actually go out and get
the tests, according to the survey.
The survey also found
that physicians are not spending enough time urging
people to get tested.
"We've got some work
to do," says Dr. Paula Szypko, a spokeswoman for the College
of American Pathologists, which sponsored the poll.
"We need to not only educate our public about what needs to
be done, but push them to try and go ahead and get screenings."
Pollsters
Ask About Major Tests
Telephone interviews
with nearly 1,500 US adults in late 2003 uncovered serious misconceptions
about several common tests aimed at the early detection of disease,
pollsters report.
First of all, there
seems to be a serious "age gap" in cholesterol screening awareness.
While most adults over 40 now get their blood cholesterol checked
regularly, most under 40 do not - even though experts advise
that all individuals over 20 get tested every five years.
Moreover, 42 percent
of men and 29 percent of women under 40 believe they do
not need to be tested, the survey found.
As early as adolescence,
blood cholesterol levels are linked "to the development of vascular
disease in young and middle-aged adults," warns Dr. Michael
S. Lauer, a heart expert with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
"So the argument is
made that by knowing cholesterol levels at a young age, one
can potentially change lifestyle habits that might be of benefit
later on down the line," Dr. Lauer says.
But are physicians
prompting younger patients to get tested? When asked by pollsters
whether their physician had suggested getting a cholesterol
test, 71 percent of men under 40 and 67 percent of women under
40 replied "no."
Dr. Lauer is not surprised
by the finding.
"From the point of
view of many doctors, as well as patients, they'd say, 'At this
point in my life the risk is very low, so is it really critical
that we have to check this right now?'"
But while high cholesterol
in youth may not pose an immediate threat, Dr. Lauer believes
for some high-risk individuals - the obese, diabetics, and those
with a family history of early heart disease - it is important
to get checked regularly.
The US public
seems confused when it comes to tests for colon cancer as well.
Even though 91 percent of men over 50 said they knew they should
undergo some form of colon cancer screening, just 54 percent
had ever done so, according to the poll.
Current guidelines
recommend that all men and women aged 50 and over get stool-based
screening annually and undergo full colonoscopy once every 10
years, to check for precancerous polyps in the colon.
"A lot of people said
they just did not have time" for screening, Dr. Szypko says.
"They just hadn't gotten round to it."
Many others may have
an exaggerated idea of the trauma involved in colonoscopy. "It's
done under sedation," Dr. Szypko points out, "and people that
have it done really don't think it's a big deal - and it can
save your life."
Advocates for mammography
got better news from the poll. Seventy percent of women over
40 - the recommended age at which to begin screening - said
they did, in fact, get a mammogram every year. Many were confused,
however, regarding the age at which such screening should begin,
with 53 percent guessing the threshold was set at 30 years of
age or younger.
Women also expressed
confusion about one of the oldest and most reliable early-detection
tests of all: the Pap test, used to spot cervical cancer or
precancerous lesions of the cervix.
"What was bothersome
in our survey was that a lot of women didn't quite know what
the Pap test was for," Dr. Szypko notes. "They're having it,
but a lot of them think they are being screened for STDs."
In fact, just 48 percent
of women surveyed understood the Pap test is specific to cervical
cancer, while 13 percent believed it was used to detect STDs
or ovarian or uterine cancer.
"That's kind of dangerous,"
Dr. Szypko says, "because if women think they have an STD they
need to talk to their doctor - there are [other] tests that
can look for those problems." There are currently no effective
early-detection tests for either ovarian or uterine cancer.
Experts
Move To Improve Communication
The survey suggests
more needs to be done to get patients into physician's offices
for tests that can help save their lives.
Computer technology
and the Internet may be key, Dr. Lauer said, citing a new initiative
that uses e-mails to jog physician memories.
"We have a system
here at the Cleveland Clinic that will give [physicians] a reminder
that a person is due for a cholesterol check, so you don't have
to remember."
Always consult your
physician for more information.
Online
Resources
(Our Organization
is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.)
College
of American Pathologists
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
My
Health Test Reminder
National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
National
Library of Medicine
US
Department of Heath and Human Services |
May 2004
Adults
Confused About Health Screenings, Poll Shows
Pollsters
Ask About Major Tests
Experts
Move To Improve Communication
What
Is a Pathologist?
Pathology
Report FAQ
Online
Resources
What
Is a Pathologist?
A pathologist is a
physician who examines bodies and body tissues, and who is responsible
for performing lab tests.
A pathologist helps
other physicians reach diagnoses and is an important member
of the treatment team.
Pathologists have
completed medical school and must have at least four years of
advanced medical education in a residency training program to
be eligible to take board certification examinations.
Pathologists are board-certified
through the American Board of Pathology.
Most pathologists
receive training in both clinical and anatomical pathology.
In addition, pathologists
can further specialize in certain areas, such as the following:
-
dermatopathology - the study
of the skin in diagnosing skin diseases. Dermatopathological
results can help diagnose common skin diseases, as well
as complex immunological diseases.
-
cellular pathology - the
study of cellular alterations in disease (also called
cytopathology). Cytopathology is often used to diagnose
cancer.
comparative pathology - the study of disease in animals
and how it compares in humans.
-
neuropathology - the study
of the nervous system. Neuropathology can help diagnose
neurological diseases.
Pathologists practice
in community, university, and government hospitals and clinics,
as well as in independent labs, private offices, and other medical
facilities.
Pathology
Report FAQ
Pathology reports
are used by your physician to determine a diagnosis or treatment
plan for a specific health condition or disease.
In a small percentage
of cases, an inadequate sample is obtained, which means there
is not enough blood, tissue, etc., to perform the necessary
analysis.
In those cases, a
second sample must be obtained. It does not mean that an abnormal
finding was present, it simply means a lab analysis was not
performed because the sample size was too small.
In most cases, a pathology
report contains the following information:
-
your name and your individual
identifiers such as date of birth or age, patient ID number,
social security number, etc.
the accession number of the case
-
the date and type of the
procedure by which the specimen was obtained (blood sample,
surgery, biopsy, etc.)
-
your medical history and
current clinical diagnosis
-
a gross (obvious) description
of the specimen received in the laboratory, before the
pathologist examines it
-
a description of what the
pathologist sees upon examination of the specimen (this
section may be brief or long, depending on the test performed
and the type of tissue being examined)
-
the name and signature of
the pathologist, as well as the name and address of the
lab
By law, you are entitled
to a copy of your medical record.
However, in most cases,
a copying fee is charged by the medical centers and/or hospitals.
Many physicians and
clinics will provide you with a certain number of copies free
of charge.
Copies of any pathology
reports are very important to keep, as your diagnosis and treatment
are often based on them.
Further, understanding
the report will help you and your physician (and any future
physicians) better understand your condition.
Always consult your
physician for more information. |
