An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” but what if we are prescribing pounds of prevention without clear evidence that it extends people’s lives? Professor Jessica Flanigan examines the ethics of cancer screening programs and other forms of preventative public health. 

Professor Flanigan argues that health workers and public officials should stop promoting screenings because the overall benefits do not clearly justify the burdens of routine screening. Respecting people’s freedom to learn about their own bodies does not require promoting or subsidizing efforts to identify illness. Screening recommendations can also encourage people to blame patients for their illnesses, compounding the suffering of sickness with unwarranted guilt and regret.