Nov 24 2009
Amidst Confusion Over Cancer Screening, Little Discussion Of Cancer Prevention
A government agency released new guidelines for breast cancer screening last week that have set off a firestorm of debate both within and outside the medical community. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended that getting mammograms later in life, and every other year instead of every year saves just as many lives and actually does less harm. Additionally it recommends against doctors teaching their patients to do breast self-exams, as such exams apparently lead to more imaging procedures and biopsies but do not reduce cancer deaths. The guidelines updated recommendations from 2002, and have touched off emotionally charged discussions with many women writing op-eds of their own personal experiences and testimonies of lives saved by mammograms and/or breast self-exams. Among those who oppose the new guidelines are the American College of Radiology and the American Cancer Society. Critics of Obama’s health care reform have also jumped at the chance to characterize the new recommendations as proof of government rationing of health care. Meanwhile, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also revised their screenings for cervical cancer last week. Instead of advising women to get annual Pap smears when they start being sexually active, the new guidelines now recommend starting pap smears at age 21 and only once every other year. How are women to make sense of these new guidelines that contradict earlier advice? And in the uproar over early detection and treatment, where is the discussion of actual cancer prevention?
GUEST: Dr. Samuel Epstein, professor emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health; Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition; The Albert Schweitzer Golden Grand Medalist for International Contributions to Cancer Prevention; and author of over 200 scientific articles and 15 books on the causes and prevention of cancer, including the groundbreaking The Politics of Cancer (1979), and Toxic Beauty (2009).
For more information, visit www.preventcancer.com.
One Response to “Amidst Confusion Over Cancer Screening, Little Discussion Of Cancer Prevention”
Thank you very much for shedding some light on the very confusing information we are getting from the health industry and others. It is difficult to know how to make the best choices especially since there are those who speak out of self interest and not about best pratices or outcomes. I now have some good questions for my health care provider.