Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in the U.S. and Dr. Peter Attia joins MedCram to explain optimizing cancer screening using various techniques: timing, imaging (full body MRI, etc.), liquid biopsies, and more.
Peter Attia, MD is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of "Medicine 3.0" (discussed in this interview) to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan. Dr. Attia is the host of the popular medical podcast called The Drive, and the author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.

Dr. Peter Attia received his medical degree from Stanford, trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, and spent two years at the National Institutes of Health as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute.

Interviewer: Kyle Allred, Physician Assistant, Producer, and Co-Founder of MedCram.com

Topics covered in this video: How to Detect Cancer Early - Before it Spreads:

00:00:00 - Intro to Peter Attia, MD, and Outlive
00:00:45 - Summary of most common causes of mortality
00:01:29 - The 4 key chronic diseases: Cardiovascular, Cancer, Neurodegenerative, and Metabolic
00:02:07 - "Healthspan" vs Lifespan
00:03:41 - Medicine 2.0 vs Medicine 3.0
00:04:46 - Life expectancy changes over time
00:06:50 - Countries that focus more on prevention? Single-payer insurance?
00:09:48 - Kyle Allred shares his cancer diagnosis
00:10:31 - Dr. Attia's approach to cancer with his patients
00:11:43 - What is driving cancer: current understanding
00:12:27 - Somatic mutations and "bad luck"
00:13:19 - Very early and aggressive cancer screening rationale
00:16:15 - Metastatic cancer treatment remains largely unsuccessful
00:17:10 - Checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapy
00:19:03 - Inside the body vs outside the body cancers
00:21:03 - The power of direct visualization of colon and polyps
00:22:04 - Colon cancer screening specifics: age, frequency, etc.?
00:23:25 - Bowel prep for colon importance and tips
00:24:31 - Colonoscopy risks and upper endoscopy (Barrett's esophagus)
00:26:16 - Pills for colon bowel prep (Sutab) vs liquid prep
00:27:09 - Tips when choosing a GI specialist for a colonoscopy
00:28:08 - Blood tests for colon cancer screening (FOBT and Cologuard)
00:29:12 - How quickly can colon cancer develop?
00:30:26 - Breast cancer: Peter Attia's approach (age, modalities, etc.).
00:32:15 - "Stacking" screening modalities for breast cancer
00:32:36 - Mammography strengths and weaknesses (dense breast tissue)
00:33:13 - MRI and ultrasound for breast screening pros/cons.
00:34:16 - Stagger cancer screening modalities?
00:34:58 - Level 1 medical evidence and costs
00:35:53 - Genetic testing for breast cancer vs family history?
00:37:53 - Liquid biopsy for cancer detection
00:42:10 - The future of liquid biopsies for cancer screening
00:45:10 - Metal detector analogy for sensitivity vs specificity
00:48:25 - Prostate cancer: Dr. Attia's approach to PSA, imaging, and 4K tests
00:52:54 - Multiparametric MRI for prostate screening
00:56:59 - Empowering ourselves as patients with knowledge
00:57:41 - Incidence of prostate cancer. 80% in men of age 80?
00:58:40 - Lung Cancer increasing in never smokers
01:00:46 - Full body MRI screening for cancer?
01:07:45 - Aneurysm on MRI
01:08:59 - Exercise and cancer prevention?
01:11:05 - Possible impact of stress, immunity decline, etc.
01:12:32 - Other cancer screening: cystoscopy, lung, and more.
01:13:33 - Genetic testing recommended?
01:14:20 - Final thoughts on EARLY cancer screening and the future
01:15:50 - Where to find more of Peter Attia, MD

Peter Attia, MD: How to Detect Cancer Early - Before it Spreads

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