5 Quotes by H. Gilbert Welch

Given the number of small cancers they did find and the number that they reasoned they had missed...the researchers concluded that virtually everybody would have some evidence of thyroid cancer if examined carefully enough.

The only way to know if the screening is saving lives is by doing a randomized trial. It's easy to forget this and assume that if technology can find more cancer, it will save more lives. Marketers exploit this assumption. Don't fall for it.

No matter how many determinants of health we throw in the mix, we will never be able to perfectly predict who will experience good health.

It’s important to acknowledge the role of chance in health.

I am often asked about three assumed benefits of mammography: less metastatic disease, less need for aggressive treatments, and important reassurance. Unfortunately, reviewing the actual evidence suggests that these “benefits” are limited or nonexistent.