In either case unless there are specific genetic concerns or symptoms warranting tests, the risk of test complications and reacting to false positive results nearly match the benefits. Age is also a significant factor in benefit analysis of aggressive treatment particularly with respect to prostate cancer.
I have reached the magic age of 65 and all the "preventative and detection" tests the doctors wanted in my 50's are suddenly off the table to them.
When I asked mine why the change he said that the medical community has re-evaluated the value of general population testing due to false positives on PSAs and that after a certain age, something else was likely to get me first.
Likewise he said that colon cancer is very slow developing and the risk of puncturing the colon, infection, adverse reaction to anesthesia and other complications are as great a risk as having the test. He does do a bi-annual occult blood test.
BTW if you take antistatins, there is a new take on that too. Many people taking them don't need to and the medical community just changed the threshold criteria on that too.
Just think, five years ago this was all "settled science"
what is an antistatin?
The more I read about the statin busters the more I think they will be the next big class action lawsuit like asbestos and tobacco. Big money for pharmaceuticals and totally unnecessary for virtually everyone. My Dr had fits when I quit taking them a few years ago and went on low/no carb/sugar high fat diet. not that I’m worried about it, but cholesterol is lower now. Dr still doesn’t like it, but doesn’t bug me about resuming Lipitor.