For those who were raised being told they should fight cancer "with a checkup and a check," it may be very difficult to grasp that what is often framed as "a simple blood (or other screening) test" may actually carry potential harms as well as benefits.
Nevertheless, overinvestment carries potential consequences.
In contrast, surveillance strategies confer minimal treatment-related harms, but carry potential psychological burden and delayed radical therapy in up to one-third of the patients as a result of disease progression (van As and Parker, 2007).
Medicines are the most common healthcare intervention worldwide, and despite providing many benefits, they also carry potential risks which can lead to patient harm [ 1].
That divide is not getting smaller, and it has never carried with it more potential harm.
Yes, it is true that all treatments carry risk and the potential harm where there is minimal evidence of its effectiveness may outweigh the likely benefit.
A separate investigation, by the Responsible Gambling Trust, is being carried out into the potential harm caused by Fixed Odds Betting Terminals and whether they are as addictive as campaigners claim.
(17) In view of the nature and scope of the exception, which is limited to entities carrying out scientific research, any potential harm created to rightholders through this exception would be minimal.
In India, infant formula cans carry a conspicuous warning about the potential harm that can be done to infants by improper preparation of the formula.
In India, legislation requires that tins of infant formula carry a conspicuous warning about the potential harm caused by artificial feeding, placed on the central panel of the label.
But while genetic screening tests are remarkable diagnostic tools, they are not without potential harm to those who happen to carry a deleterious trait.
