Symptoms and risk factors to identify people with suspected cancer in primary care

or if her social circumstances/medical comorbidities change?There are also other advantages in sending 'unsolicited mail' to our patients that Dr Greenhalgh overlooks.For example, such offers of screening, even if they are declined, can serve to remind infrequent attenders of the existence of their GP and encourage attendance for other problems.Dr Greenhalgh refers to a few of her patients 'who have negative attitudes towards proactive care' and one patient in particular who felt that 'her biometric data in the absence of symptoms are none of anyone's business'.1 Surely it is our role as primary care clinicians to challenge attitudes of this sort and, so far as it is reasonable, encourage all patients to participate willingly and actively in taking responsibility for their long-term health, rather than allowing a select few to opt out of health checks on a default basis.