On September 22, 2024, on Yale Cancer Answers, Dr. Eric Winer interviewed Ilana Richman, MD, MHS, Assistant Professor of Medicine (General Internal Medicine). Dr. Richman is a general internist and health services researcher who investigates the use, effectiveness, and value of preventive services.
On this episode of Yale Cancer Answers, Dr. Richman discusses why overdiagnosis is a concern, the challenges of assessing the benefit of new screening technologies, and the risks and benefits people should weigh when considering preventative screening. Overdiagnosis refers to a situation where a disease is found that wouldn’t have been clinically apparent and the person diagnosed never would have developed symptoms or died from the condition.
"Overdiagnosis is a concern because we end up treating some fraction of people for something that never would have impacted their health. And some treatments—such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy—are intense," said Dr. Richman.