I am happy to see this note from the website of John Hopkins Breast Cancer. In particular, I am happy to see the word “probability.” It jibes with my usual practice of giving estimates of probability or certainty of clinical diagnosis (most of the time, using subjective probability based on objective clinical findings, prevalence and experience). See sample of a medical record below.
“At the Johns Hopkins Breast Center, our team of breast cancer specialists is incredibly sensitive to the anxiety a possible diagnosis of breast cancer creates for our patients. Therefore, we follow strict guidelines for evaluation, biopsies and pathology reports. On the day of your breast biopsy, you will be given the probability that the biopsy is a fibroadenoma. Firm confirmation will follow within 24 hours.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/breast_center/breast_cancers_other_conditions/fibroadenoma.html
Sample of ROJoson’s Medical Record – Note the estimates of probability of clinical diagnosis. Depending on the clinical findings and my judgement, I usually give 60-40; 70-30; 80-20; 90-10; 95-5; 98-99-2-1. I don’t give an estimate of 50-50.
Concerning this statement: “At the Johns Hopkins Breast Center, our team of breast cancer specialists is incredibly sensitive to the anxiety a possible diagnosis of breast cancer creates for our patients. ” This is true. If the clinical diagnosis has a high probability of a benign condition, by telling the patient so, rather than saying 50-50 or no estimate, it instantly will offer great relief to the anxiety of the patient.
ROJoson’s TPOR (Thoughts, Perceptions, Opinions, and Recommendations)
ROJoson’s RRR (Re-study, Refine, and Reaffirm)
ROJ@18may23
