Ounce -- even pound -- of prevention I'm really too busy doing the
unnecessary procedures referred to by syndicated columnist Tad
Bartimus ("Maybe it's the doctors who are hypochondriacs," Aug. 27) to
respond to her uninformed babbling.

Nevertheless, I cannot resist a teachable moment.

All of the dreaded afflictions of our bodies have a beginning -- an
asymptomatic phase.

The trick is to discover those life-threatening problems when they can
be effectively treated.

Consider yourself fortunate if your doctor cares enough about your
welfare to advise screening.

A doctor in St. Paul recently referred a patient to me for colonoscopy
because, in the course of a routine exam, he observed unusual pigment
in the patient's retina.

This sharp diagnostician knew that type of retinal pigment [can
signal] familial polyposis gene defect, a major cause of colon polyps
that can [become] cancer.

I located and removed a totally asymptomatic precancerous
tumor.

Luckily, the procedure was accomplished before the patient had a
chance to be influenced by the juvenile whinings of Ms. Bartimus. When
we discover an affected family member, we are also obliged to advise
colonoscopic screening of the patient's first-degree relatives
(siblings, parents, children).

I enjoy humorous commentary as much as the next person, but I'm
worried that some of your readers with symptom-free tumors will reject
the good advice of their doctors, and the golden door to successful
treatment may slam shut before the disorder is detected.

Paul B. Dickinson, M.D.

St. Paul