New Breast Cancer Guidelines Issued, Followed by Controversy, Confusion
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's (USPSTF) breast cancer screening recommendations released Nov. 17 unleashed a firestorm. The new guidelines recommend that women in their 40s no longer have annual mammograms and that women ages 50 to 74 have them only every other year instead of annually.
The Administration distanced itself from the recommendations later in the week with a statement from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius saying that the USPSTF recommendations "do not set federal policy and they don't determine what services are covered by the federal government." The Secretary indicated that the federal Medicare program will not change coverage of mammograms in the immediate wake of the new guidelines.
She concluded saying, "Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years - talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you."
Medical organizations weighing in regarding the new guidelines include:
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (Note that its statement summarizes the new USPSTF recommendations and compares them to ACOG's, which they continue to support.)