White House backs off cancer test guidelines

White House backs off cancer test guidelines: "A top federal health official said Wednesday that the controversial new guidelines for breast cancer screening do not represent government policy, as the Obama administration sought to keep the debate over mammograms from undermining the prospects for health-care reform.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, in a written statement, said the new guidelines had 'caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country,' and she stressed that they were issued by 'an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who . . . do not set federal policy and . . . don't determine what services are covered by the federal government.'

Sebelius's statement challenged the recommendations of that influential panel, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, made up of independent experts assembled by her department to address one of the most explosive issues in women's health.

The task force on Monday recommended that women in their 40s not undergo routine mammograms and instead individually discuss with their doctors whether to have the exams. The panel also said that women in their 50s should have routine mammograms every two years, instead of annually. The panel argued that the benefits of more frequent routine exams were outweighed by the harm caused by false positives, which can lead to anxiety, unnecessary biopsies and unneeded treatment.

While hailed by many patient advocates and breast cancer experts, the new guidelines have been harshly criticized by the American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology and others, including some members of Congress. Some have questioned whether the guidelines are related to the health-care reform debate and efforts to save money by rationing care -- allegations the panel strongly denied.

'The task force has presented some new evidence for consideration but our policies remain unchanged,' Sebelius said in the statement. 'Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed its mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action.'"