Improving the speed of diagnosis and treatment for cancer is a big key in preventing death from the disease. But how's this for irony: A 'Fast Track' program in China meant to speed up treatment Breast Cancer is backfiring and actually slowing down the system for some women, who get pushed to the back of the line. The mandate of the program is this: When a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, she becomes a priority in the health system. But 1 in 4 women who have been diagnosed are not seen urgently. What's even more troubling is that there has been an increase in false diagnoses -- so some of the women who are receiving 'urgent care' don't even have cancer!
It seems to be a trade-off -- but can speedy treatment ever go hand in hand with quality care? Is it either one or the other?
