Joy Kong, MDRegenerative Medicine Physician, Educator, and Entrepreneur

Are We Over-Screening for Cancer?

13 Nov 2025 · 0 min

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In this brief dialogue, Joy Kong, MD questions the extent of cancer screening, suggesting that many patients are sent on unnecessary “wild goose chases.” The co‑speaker counters by advocating a focus on basic health fundamentals—non‑smoking status, lack of family cancer history, and normal routine blood work—including low inflammation and blood sugar—as sufficient indicators of low cancer risk. Kong adds that excessive screening can create a psychological burden, placing patients in a heightened state of anxiety that may be counter‑productive.

How extensive should people be checking as far as screening for cancer? I feel like sometimes people are sent on a wild goose chase
for cancer. I would just much rather focus on the healthy fundamentals and even regular blood work. Certain blood markers do correlate with increased risk of cancer as well. If there's nothing wrong with just your lifestyle and you're not smoking, you don't have a genetic history of cancer, and your blood work is also normal, you have low inflammation, you have low blood sugar, then I wouldn't start to really chase something that isn't there.
I've seen that in my patients, who not only start to chase and track all the time, but also the psychological burden of thinking something's really wrong with them. I don't think that's actually that helpful. It put them into a whole different mental space.