But in the physical examination center, there are many kinds of physical examination items, ranging from thousands to tens of thousands. Is it really necessary?
In fact, there is really no need to do all the inspection items recommended by some medical institutions. The name is bluffing, but it's a waste of money!
1. A drop of blood can detect dozens of cancers.
"The accuracy of genetic testing is 99.99%. A drop of blood can detect dozens of cancers, 1000 many genetic diseases ... "
This test of "detecting dozens of cancers with one drop of blood" has been packaged into a gene sequencing project with advanced detection technology by many medical institutions and physical examination centers. In 20 14, it was jointly stopped by the former US Food and Drug Administration and the former National Health Planning Commission, on the grounds that the gene sequencer used in China and related reagents and software were used in medical devices without state approval, which belonged to "illegal medical use".
Chen, deputy director of the Health Management Center of the Ninth Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the People's Liberation Army, said that gene sequencing has been abused by many medical institutions, exaggerating its detection effect, claiming that as long as a drop of blood is used, hundreds of diseases can be screened through genes, and the related inspection costs range from several hundred thousand to several thousand yuan.
In fact, gene sequencing is mainly aimed at genetic disease examination. If gene sequencing is added to routine physical examination items, it will be even more deceptive. On the contrary, some illegal organizations abuse this technology, which will easily lead to errors in genetic test results or make wrong diagnosis, causing panic to patients.
2. "Qian Cai" to check prostate cancer
One of many physical examinations is abdominal color Doppler ultrasound, and men over 40 often add a project called "Qian Cai"-prostate color Doppler ultrasound to screen for prostate cancer. If this examination is added, the cost of medical examination will go up a lot at once.
Zhang Guangyin, chief physician of urology department of Beijing Tongren Hospital, pointed out that color ultrasound of prostate is a common method to check prostate cancer. But for healthy people, the most important thing is to screen early cancer, but color Doppler ultrasound can't detect early prostate cancer at all, and even has no diagnostic function!
Dr Zhang Guangyin suggested that men over 50 should use prostate specific antigen (PSA) to screen for prostate cancer. Because PSA is cheaper, eliminating false positives is the most convenient and sensitive method for early screening of prostate cancer.
3. X-ray examination of lung cancer
In most medical examination packages, the most direct means to check lung cancer is X-ray, and even some medical examination centers will let you add an X-ray to screen lung cancer.
Yang, chief physician of the Department of Oncology, Xiyuan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that because of its low resolution and low detection rate, if lung cancer can be diagnosed by chest X-ray, the clinic is often in the late stage, and early screening is of little significance.
Dr. Yang suggested that because of the high resolution of CT in detecting lung cancer, lung cancer tumors can be detected at 65438±0cm or even 0.8 cm. It is suggested that middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years old or people with a family history of lung cancer should change X-rays into low-dose CT during physical examination.
4. Children's blood calcium test
Blood is drawn to measure trace elements, and many physical examination centers will ask parents to add a "blood calcium test" to their children. Parents may think that if blood calcium is normal, children will not be short of calcium.
Qin Jiong, director of pediatrics at Peking University People's Hospital, said that the indication of blood calcium on calcium content in the body is not comprehensive. Because, in the early stage of calcium deficiency, the calcium concentration in serum is not enough. In order to prevent hypocalcemia convulsions, bones will contribute their own calcium to the blood. At this time, the blood calcium concentration is normal. In fact, the child's bones are already deficient in calcium.
Qin Jiong suggested that children should first look for obvious calcium deficiency symptoms, such as sweating, excitement and lack of sleep. The blood test should refer to the values of blood calcium, blood phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase, instead of just looking at blood calcium, or judging whether there is calcium deficiency by X-ray irradiation of wrist bone.
5. CT and infrared examination of breast cancer
Physical examination and routine breast examination are necessary for women, but a B-ultrasound or mammography examination is enough. "CT and infrared breast examination" recommended by many physical examination centers is really unnecessary.
Wan Donggui, chief physician of the Oncology Department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital, pointed out that CT has the shortcomings of low sensitivity and low specificity for breast cancer. In addition, there are some places where infrared detection of breast condition is highly recommended, because infrared detection is not in accordance with international standards, the machine performance is poor, the sensitivity is low, the error is large, and the doctor's subjective judgment is strong, so this method is no longer used in large hospitals.
Wan Donggui reminded that for early screening of breast cancer, self-examination, B-ultrasound, or mammography are recommended first. Compared with breast CT, magnetic resonance examination is obviously better, and it is recommended to be used in high-risk groups.
6. Detection index of gastric cancer
"Do a gastric cancer detection index test?" Many medical institutions will recommend you to do this project, but in fact you can't find it at all.
Wu Yongdong, chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, said that laboratory test indicators can be used for the preliminary screening of gastric diseases, but if these indicators are used to screen gastric cancer, it will be somewhat inadequate because its accuracy is still not up to the requirements.
Wu Yongdong recommended gastroscope is the most standard and accurate, and it is the first choice for screening and diagnosing gastric cancer.
7. Screening cancer with PET-CT
"You can see all the lesions in one examination" is often the slogan when medical institutions recommend PET-CT.
PET-CT can be said to be one of the most advanced medical imaging diagnostic equipment in the world, which is of great significance for cancer staging, differentiation of metastasis and recurrence, tumor prognosis evaluation and treatment plan guidance. However, its role in routine physical examination is not cost-effective, and it is not suitable for general physical examination.
Zhu Xiaoli, chief physician of respiratory medicine in Zhong Da Hospital affiliated to Southeast University, pointed out that blind and excessive PET-CT physical examination is unnecessary for ordinary people. Although PET-CT is a sensitive method to detect tumors, it is expensive, and it is often difficult to find traces of small pulmonary nodules sensitively on chest radiographs. At present, the best screening method is low-dose spiral CT, which can not judge whether the tumor is benign or malignant, but it can be used as a screening method, and high-risk groups need annual physical examination.
Now you know, don't be fooled by the next physical examination!