jjablkowski's blog

Sir Charles Tupper, MD. By Jacques Reich, public domain via Wikimedia Commons

If we can get to the moon, how come we cannot lick cancer? I have heard exasperated friends and patients cry out in frustration. Unfortunately, the answer is simple: more or less 500 years ago Newton and Galileo already had the necessary mathematical and physics equations to get us to the moon, but lacked today’s materials and the engineering knowhow for that spectacular accomplishment. In medicine today, we have advanced technology but we do not yet have the fundamental knowledge about disease causality. 

While celebrating Mother’s Day 108 years ago, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane wanted to designate a special day for her father. Mr Dod raised Sonora from newborn to adulthood after Mrs Dod died soon after Sonora’s birth. The idea of honoring her father, and all fathers for their love and care, caught on and a special day in June of each year was set aside for Father’s Day. 

Who knew that we have a behavioral immune system? Or that when it’s activated it may put the brakes on our drive to connect with our peers socially? Before reading a recent research paper out of McGill University, I didn’t know anything about the behavioral immune system. This is what I learned.

What am I talking about? Well of course, I am talking about choices in prostate cancer screening programs in primary care.