Forest for the trees

The press has been quibbling with Rudy Giuliani about this recent ad...

"My chance of surviving prostate cancer, and thank God I was cured of it, in the United States: 82 percent. My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England: only 44 percent under socialized medicine."

The press says the figures are in dispute, Giuliani says his figures were "absolutely accurate" at the time of his prostate cancer treatment in 2000.

Rates are even higher today - 99 percent in the U.S. and an estimated 74 percent in the U.K.

Here's what they're missing and another huge point against socialized medicine and the scientific community is united in that fact...

American men are far more likely to undergo screening tests that detect the disease in its earliest stages. That means U.S. survival rates include many men whose lives probably weren't in danger—and whose cancers may never have been noticed in the United Kingdom.

Per the American Cancer Society...

If you can't prevent cancer, the next best thing you can do to protect your health is to detect it early. Recognizing symptoms, getting regular check-ups, and performing self-exams are just a few ways you can do this.

If early detection saves lives, why isn't that being done in the U.K.?

One in eight patients waiting over a year for treatment, admits minister

These statistics are scary too, 48% are treated within 18 weeks and 30% waited more than 30 weeks.

Rudy's right...

"Even if you want to quibble about the statistics, you find me the person who leaves the United States and goes to England for prostate cancer treatment, and I'd like to meet that person."