False Positive or Negative Desease Test?

[zep73]

Note: This psychology thread is hypothetical, and aims to discus a psychological dilemma. Given the sensitivity of the subject, I would like to assure that the seriousness of it is fully appreciated!

 

It is undoubtedly bad to get a false desease test result, especially when it's a lethal one in question, but if you were to choose between a false negative or a false positive, which one would you prefer?

Let's take the most common one as an example: Cancer

The false positive:
You are told you have cancer. You and your family/friends react with horror and fear. You start an aggressive chemo treatment you don't need. You lose you hair and become socially disabled. Your whole family is suffering with you. You lose most your friends.
The error is discovered after six months of treatment. The stress on your psyche, body and social life has been devastating, and your life will never be quite the same again. You might die earlier than what would otherwise be expected.

The false negative:
You live a normal life for months, maybe even years. You slowly become sick, but you disregard the symptoms. Finally when the symptoms stops you from normal living, you are tested again, and found positive. Chemo gives you a 50% chance survival rate.

Edited October 30, 2018 by sci-nerd

[GoodReality]

Do you want any reasoning? 

[Rlyeh]

If they are monitoring the cancer how can it take 6 months to realise there was never any cancer?

[Essan]

Having only seen a doctor once in the 35 years (since I left school) I work on the assumption that I am probably already living under scenario  B.   One day I'll drop dead and only then will they find all the things wrong with me     

There are also some who, diagnosed with a terminal illness, give up on life, stop doing what they enjoy, sit around feeling ever more sorry for themselves, fall into depression and die even sooner as a consequence (though some, of course, do quote the opposite, fight very strongly indeed and often live far longer than expected as a consequence!).   So scenario A could, in theory, result in your death by proxy!

[zep73]

9 hours ago, GoodReality said:

Do you want any reasoning? 

Of course! 

[zep73]

4 hours ago, Rlyeh said:

If they are monitoring the cancer how can it take 6 months to realise there was never any cancer?

It was just an estimated guess. I do not know how often they check for progress.