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Part V: Statistical Studies and the Hunt for a Meaningful Relationship
more likely to die from cancer than women. If you’re a man, you may think
you should panic. But when you examine the details, you find something dif-
ferent. Researchers found that men are much less likely to go to the doctor
than women, so by the time cancer is found, it’s more advanced and difficult
to treat. As a result, men were more likely to die of cancer after its diagno-
sis. (They aren’t necessarily more likely to get cancer; that’s for a different
study.) This study was meant to promote early detection as the best protec-
tion and encourage men to keep their annual checkups. The message would
have been clearer had the media reported it correctly (but that’s not as excit-
ing or dramatic).
3/25/11 8:13 PM
27_9780470911082-ch19.indd 316 For example, as I write this, a major news network reports that men are 40% 3/25/11 8:13 PM
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