WASHINGTON, Nov 18, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The Obama administration says its
mammogram policy is unchanged despite a U.S. panel's finding that routine tests
aren't necessary for women in their 40s.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Wednesday distanced
the administration from a report issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task
Force, a 16-member panel assembled by the agency, which recommended that women
under 50 forgo routine breast cancer tests and instead get mammograms
individually in consultation with their doctors, The Washington Post reported.
The panel said frequent mammograms for younger women cause more problems than
they catch because of the anxiety caused by false positive results, the
newspaper said.
But Sebelius said the task force's conclusions have "caused a great deal of
confusion and worry among women and their families across this country" and
noted that "they do not set federal policy and they don't determine what
services are covered by the federal government.
"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,"
Sebelius said.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International