• Reader's Digest Magazine - September 2008

Reader's Digest Magazine - September 2008

Read the September 2008 Press Release from Reader's Digest Magazine

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DICK SMITH SPEAKS OUT ABOUT SUPPORTING DAVID HICKS

He may be one of Australia’s most trusted people, but Dick Smith’s decision to support the rights of convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks divided a nation and sparked an emotional backlash.

In an exclusive interview with READER’S DIGEST, Smith explains why the treatment of Hicks made him feel uncomfortable about being an Australian, and how his money has been used to fight for a better form of justice: “None of it went to David Hicks. Not a cent.”

*Media soundbites are available on request. Click on the following link to listen to the Full Dick Smith Interview Podcast

SHOULD YOU REALLY HAVE THAT HEALTH SCREENING TEST?

Routine screening tests can save your life, and logic would suggest that the more you know about your health the better. But what isn’t so well understood is that medical screening isn’t always a saviour. It can have serious downsides. The tests themselves can cause harm or lead to unnecessary, expensive interventions.

A special report in the latest issue of READER’S DIGEST talks to medical experts about finding the right balance when it comes to health screening, and the reasons why the government doesn’t offer to pay for certain tests.

Today’s medical technology means we can pick up the tiniest changes deep within our organs, enabling us to get treatment long before diseases take hold – and even before we notice symptoms.

Doctors can read our blood to check if we’re at risk of heart disease or diabetes, a urine test can pinpoint our risk of kidney disease, and X-rays can check our bone density. Some people are even paying for their own private testing – including full body scans and tests for heart problems or the presence of certain cancers.

There has been significant debate about whether there should be population-wide screening for prostate cancer. It’s a big killer, but many men would find out that they have low-grade prostate cancer – a diagnosis that could have more of a psychological impact than a physical one, and lead to people being over-treated.

Women, meantime, are being urged to be “breast aware”, despite research finding no benefit from structured breast exams. The report details the latest expert advice on identifying and dealing with breast cancer.

Some tests will return a positive result, whereas more invasive follow-up examinations (such as colonoscopies) will often find no major problems. However, it’s been calculated that, in the case of bowel cancer, a sufficient number of lives are saved to make the risks of screening worthwhile. The report details how the policy makers decide when the benefits of testing the general population outweigh the potential harms.

Screening tests can often pick up “pseudo “ cancers. Many of us probably have cancer cells growing in our bodies that are never destined to cause us harm.

INTERVIEWS: To arrange an interview – and for a copy of this article – contact Fiona Hamann on 02-9018 6224 or 0423 560 163 Tues-Thurs, (or Beatrix Hon on 02-9018 6227 on Mon & Fri.)