Cancer specialists struggling to find better screening tests

With new concern about whether consumers should be tested for some cancers -- especially those that are slow growing -- researchers are working to find more specific tests and advice that can be helpful.

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Hit Reset On Cancer Screening: 'Tests Not Perfect'
It turns out that catching cancer early isn't always as important as we thought. Some tumors are too slow-growing to ever threaten your life. Some are so aggressive that finding them early doesn't make much difference. And today's treatments are much better for those somewhere in the middle. ... Now cancer specialists are struggling to find a new balance: to quit over-promising the power of early detection and to help people understand that the tests themselves have risks - while not scaring away those who really need it  (Kelly, 11/7).

It's not only treating cancer that can raise issues for consumers. One health journalist found that getting information on treatments for her injuries was difficult too.

Kaiser Health News: Insuring Your Health: Columnist Finds No Clear Path On Treatment
A few months ago, I wrote about my experience at a Canadian hospital emergency department following my disastrous encounter with a patch of gravel while cycling in Quebec in July. ... I thought a few weeks of bed rest would get me back to some semblance of normal, but the reality was more complicated. What follows is the second and (I hope) final chapter in my tale of two health-care systems (Andrews, 11/8).

Kaiser Health News (Video): The Accidental (Medical) Tourist.
Michelle Andrews talks to Jackie Judd about her health care following the bike accident (11/7).