[kazinator]

> But experts say this doesn’t mean you should cancel that colonoscopy or mammogram appointment.

That can only be that these experts disagree with the study, because if it were properly conducted such that its findings are true, then in fact its conclusions do add up to skipping colonoscopies and mammograms.

The study is saying that the diagnostic procedures have no effect on outcome. You should not waste time on procedures that don't change outcome.

[hedora]

The article dismisses a population-wide life expectancy increase of 4 months from one of the screens.

If that's your bar, then most preventative screening is probably not worthwhile.

[kazinator]

If, say, only 5% of the people undertake that screening and manage to bring up the population expectancy by four months, then the actual effect could be over six years for screened individuals.

It's pretty dishonest to be confusing the effect of screening by counting unscreened individuals.

It's like claiming that seat belts don't work by looking only at fatality figures that don't inform to what extent seatbelts were worn.

[wnissen]

It would really help me to use the same methodology but compare it to people smoking like they did in the 1980s.