Why Are "False Positives" in Diagnostic Tests for Cancer Rather

question 44

Multiple Choice

Why are "false positives" in diagnostic tests for cancer rather common?

• A) Most diagnostic tests for cancer are relatively new and have not been well tested.
• B) Cancerous cells are nearly identical to normal cells, so often a doctor will see what looks like a cancer cell but it isn't one.
• C) Diagnostic tests are generally quite broad to ensure that the doctor doesn't miss a cancer that's there.
• D) Patients are sometimes unhappy to have paid to get tested "for nothing" so a doctor follows up as if the test is positive when it isn't justified.
• E) Hardly anyone actually gets cancer, so usually when something looks like cancer, that's what it turns out not to be.

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Definitions:

Supply Shift

A change in the supply curve of goods or services caused by factors other than price changes, leading to a new equilibrium in the market.

Good Z

A hypothetical product or service used in economic examples to discuss theories and concepts.

Cornstalks

The stems of corn plants, which can be used as fodder for animals, in biofuel production, or as a raw material in various industries.

Complements In Production

Goods that are produced together in the same process or that increase productivity when used together.