Rudy Giuliani Needs a Lesson in Statistics
Someone on Radio 4 was commenting on Rudy Giuiliani yesterday. In a political speech it seems he said;
“I had prostate cancer five, six years ago, my chance of surviving prostate cancer – and, thank God, I was cured of it – in the United States? 82 per cent. My chance of surviving prostate cancer in England? Only 44 per cent under socialised medicine.”
Mr. Giuliani, you are what is referred to in England as a “prat”. I guess you didn’t see the Michael Moore film Sicko or don’t read that a large portion of your nation don’t have health insurance. For lucky people like you and me (I had skin cancer in 2001) who have private medical insurance those statistic maybe comforting, but for the millions on medicare or with no access to health care in your country I doubt your message resonates. Their survival chances will be a lot less. I suspect it angers a fair few people, I am one! In the UK we are all aware of the limitation of the NHS but for an institution that has been around for nearly 60 years, if I person doesn’t have private health insurance they at least they have a reasonable chance if their life is threatened from a serious illness. An 82% survival rate for the minority is not a statistic to be proud of if you have any level social responsibility. Maybe you should run off with James Watson and concoct some more rubbish based on isolated “science”?
November 4, 2007 at 12:18 am
Unfortunately I had a hell of a prostate cancer scare back in 2003. And I can tell you that both of those numbers are way the hell off anyhow. England currently reports a 74.4 survivability rate. But the numbers are really much grimmer for the US; and england because the real number is that only 32% survive past 5 years. (I have an oncologist that lives next door.) That is more like a 78% mortality rate. And the numbers for 10 years are 7%. Yet, all the doctors and literature say it is 99% survivable; however, they are really talking about a first year survivability rate. So statistically speaking Rudy would die while in office; or shortly after leaving office; provided he were to win the election. So I think he is trying to sell the stupid A mericans on how it is ok to elect him to office because he is ‘cured.’ That is a load of rubbish thought. To find out what the real survivability rate of prostate cancer is - hop on over to http://www.prostatecalculator.org/ and enter your data… (hopefully; you don’t have the information necessary to make this calculation…)