Dr. Peter Attia

Well, I'll tell you. I'll give you a really horrible story of a false positive. I was just talking to somebody the other day who went and got a whole body MRI and it found something in his thyroid that looked a little suspicious. And to be clear, the thyroid gland is notoriously difficult to image, notoriously difficult.

Well, I'll tell you. I'll give you a really horrible story of a false positive. I was just talking to somebody the other day who went and got a whole body MRI and it found something in his thyroid that looked a little suspicious. And to be clear, the thyroid gland is notoriously difficult to image, notoriously difficult.

It is so glandular and so prone to over-representation of cancer that we see false positives all the time in the thyroid. I just tell patients, 10%, 20% chance we're going to see something in your thyroid. In this case, saw something in his thyroid. His doctors recommended a thyroid ultrasound and a biopsy. So they did the ultrasound. They did the biopsy.

It is so glandular and so prone to over-representation of cancer that we see false positives all the time in the thyroid. I just tell patients, 10%, 20% chance we're going to see something in your thyroid. In this case, saw something in his thyroid. His doctors recommended a thyroid ultrasound and a biopsy. So they did the ultrasound. They did the biopsy.

It is so glandular and so prone to over-representation of cancer that we see false positives all the time in the thyroid. I just tell patients, 10%, 20% chance we're going to see something in your thyroid. In this case, saw something in his thyroid. His doctors recommended a thyroid ultrasound and a biopsy. So they did the ultrasound. They did the biopsy.

Now, normally at that point, that's the end of the line. The thyroid is really easy to biopsy. You can feel it. Under an ultrasound, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Pull a couple cells out. No cancer. You're fine. Sorry for the inconvenience. We'll see you in a year. But in this case, when they did the biopsy, they're like, it might be cancer. We can't fully tell.

Now, normally at that point, that's the end of the line. The thyroid is really easy to biopsy. You can feel it. Under an ultrasound, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Pull a couple cells out. No cancer. You're fine. Sorry for the inconvenience. We'll see you in a year. But in this case, when they did the biopsy, they're like, it might be cancer. We can't fully tell.

Now, normally at that point, that's the end of the line. The thyroid is really easy to biopsy. You can feel it. Under an ultrasound, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Pull a couple cells out. No cancer. You're fine. Sorry for the inconvenience. We'll see you in a year. But in this case, when they did the biopsy, they're like, it might be cancer. We can't fully tell.

And they recommended removing the half of the thyroid. So they did. Now they did the surgical operation. They took out his half thyroid and it came back. It was totally fine. Now, is this a life-changing surgery? No. Can you live without half your thyroid? Yes. But that's an example of what can go wrong. Now, how do I choose to live with that degree of uncertainty?

And they recommended removing the half of the thyroid. So they did. Now they did the surgical operation. They took out his half thyroid and it came back. It was totally fine. Now, is this a life-changing surgery? No. Can you live without half your thyroid? Yes. But that's an example of what can go wrong. Now, how do I choose to live with that degree of uncertainty?

And they recommended removing the half of the thyroid. So they did. Now they did the surgical operation. They took out his half thyroid and it came back. It was totally fine. Now, is this a life-changing surgery? No. Can you live without half your thyroid? Yes. But that's an example of what can go wrong. Now, how do I choose to live with that degree of uncertainty?

Personally, because of my risk appetite, I make the decision to screen. I screen myself very aggressively. So I do get a whole body MRI every year. I'm very aggressive with the frequency with which I do colonoscopy. I do liquid biopsies every year. I'm religious with my skin exams.

Personally, because of my risk appetite, I make the decision to screen. I screen myself very aggressively. So I do get a whole body MRI every year. I'm very aggressive with the frequency with which I do colonoscopy. I do liquid biopsies every year. I'm religious with my skin exams.

Personally, because of my risk appetite, I make the decision to screen. I screen myself very aggressively. So I do get a whole body MRI every year. I'm very aggressive with the frequency with which I do colonoscopy. I do liquid biopsies every year. I'm religious with my skin exams.

And again, some of these things are low risk, like the risk of a skin exam means I'm losing a couple moles I didn't need to lose, who cares? But a colonoscopy is a huge risk. I shouldn't say huge. I mean, it's just a very non-zero risk. But again, I consider it a bigger shame to get colon cancer and to miss a colon cancer. Something that's, you know, third leading cause of cancer death, right?

And again, some of these things are low risk, like the risk of a skin exam means I'm losing a couple moles I didn't need to lose, who cares? But a colonoscopy is a huge risk. I shouldn't say huge. I mean, it's just a very non-zero risk. But again, I consider it a bigger shame to get colon cancer and to miss a colon cancer. Something that's, you know, third leading cause of cancer death, right?

And again, some of these things are low risk, like the risk of a skin exam means I'm losing a couple moles I didn't need to lose, who cares? But a colonoscopy is a huge risk. I shouldn't say huge. I mean, it's just a very non-zero risk. But again, I consider it a bigger shame to get colon cancer and to miss a colon cancer. Something that's, you know, third leading cause of cancer death, right?

I want to make sure I'm not going to succumb to colon cancer. So, you know, I don't have an answer for you, but I could walk you through every number and let you make the best answer for you.

I want to make sure I'm not going to succumb to colon cancer. So, you know, I don't have an answer for you, but I could walk you through every number and let you make the best answer for you.

I want to make sure I'm not going to succumb to colon cancer. So, you know, I don't have an answer for you, but I could walk you through every number and let you make the best answer for you.