A prestigious medical society, Massachusetts Medical Society, had selected the most important medical topics of the past year at the beginning of each year, but in 2019, there has been a change. There was the selection as usual, plus, and this is new this year: “What have medical doctors discussed most in social media?” I’ll start with this selection: Digital rectal exam as screening for prostate cancer should be avoided in primary care. General practitioners (GPs) should not perform digital rectal exams.
And the “usual” selection of the society, i.e. the most important medical topic of the year: Mini dose aspirin, i.e. 100 mg aspirin daily, to prevent a heart attack or stroke: In 2018, three large randomised controlled clinical studies about this question were conducted. Two of the clinical studies showed no benefit and one clinical study showed benefit and disadvantage, which balanced each other out. Taken together: 100 mg aspirin daily leads to no medical benefit.
Digital rectal exam and mini dose aspirin are not effective: these two statements agitate us, medical doctors and patients alike.