ACS Has No Plans To Change Cancer Guidelnes

The American Cancer Society says it is no plans on changing its stance on breast cancer and prostate cancer screening.

Controversy erupted today when Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society let slip that the benefits of breast cancer and prostate cancer screening may have been oversold.

“We don’t want people to panic,” Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the cancer society, told The New York Times. “But I’m admitting that American medicine has overpromised when it comes to screening. The advantages to screening have been exaggerated.”

Brawley’s comments were in reference to analysis which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association of breast and prostate cancer screening, which raised questions about claims that screening saves lives.

in a prepared statement, the ACS said:

“While the advantages of screening for some cancers have been overstated, there are advantages, especially in the case of breast, colon and cervical cancers. Mammography is effective – mammograms work and women should continue get them… The American Cancer Society stands by its recommendation that women age 40 and over should receive annual mammography, and women at high risk should talk with their doctors about when screening should begin based on their family history.”

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society added that the ACS will not change thier guidelines/

“We are not redoing or rethinking our guidelines at this time, nor are we going to restate our guidelines to emphasize the inadequacies of screening,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld.