erictopol.substack.com/p/dawn-of-a-new-era-of-primary-prevention
2 corrections found
Recall we have not had any clinical way to assess the immune system until these clocks have arrived
This is incorrect: clinicians have long had established ways to assess immune function, including immune-function testing and immunoglobulin blood tests.
Full reasoning
This sentence is too absolute. Clinical medicine has long included direct tests of immune function.
- The Merck Manual Professional Edition says that for immunodeficiency disorders, “Diagnosis usually involves immune function testing” and that evaluation includes history, physical examination, and immune function testing.
- MedlinePlus says an immunoglobulins blood test is used to help diagnose conditions that affect the immune system, including immunodeficiency, and explains that abnormal immunoglobulin levels can indicate that the immune system is not responding effectively to infection.
So while new epigenetic or organ-age clocks may offer new kinds of immune-aging assessment, it is false to say there has been no clinical way to assess the immune system until these clocks arrived.
2 sources
- Overview of Immunodeficiency Disorders - Merck Manual Professional Edition
Diagnosis usually involves immune function testing... Evaluation of immunodeficiency includes history, physical examination, and immune function testing.
- Immunoglobulins Blood Test: MedlinePlus Medical Test
An immunoglobulins blood test can help your health care provider diagnose different types of health conditions that may affect your immune system... Low immunoglobulin levels may be a sign of an immunodeficiency.
in over 90% of cases, is only currently diagnosed at late, metastatic stages.
This overstates how often pancreatic cancer is metastatic or late-stage at diagnosis. U.S. SEER data show about 51% are distant/metastatic at diagnosis and about 79% are regional-or-distant combined.
Full reasoning
Current U.S. SEER data do not support the claim that pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at “late, metastatic stages” in over 90% of cases.
SEER’s pancreatic cancer stage-at-diagnosis breakdown shows:
- 15% localized
- 28% regional
- 51% distant (metastasized)
- 6% unknown/unstaged
That means only about 51% are metastatic at diagnosis, and even if you combine regional + distant disease as “late stage,” the total is about 79%, not over 90%.
Pancreatic cancer is indeed often diagnosed late and has poor survival, but the specific percentage stated here is substantially too high.
1 source
- Pancreatic Cancer - Cancer Stat Facts (National Cancer Institute SEER)
Percent of Cases by Stage at Diagnosis: Pancreatic Cancer ... Localized 15% ... Regional 28% ... Distant 51% ... Unknown 6%.