Stand Up To Cancer

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued a statement regarding a government-funded panel's new mammography recommendations, as the Secretary aimed to address "the great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country."

The statement came in the wake of Monday's release of new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations on breast cancer screenings and widespread news coverage of the recommendations, as well as reaction from the cancer community and advocacy groups like the American Cancer Society. In her statement, Secretary Sebelius makes clear that the Task Force's recommendations are not a reflection of federal policy, that the policy on breast cancer screenings remains unchanged, and that the recommendations are simply evidence for consideration and further study.

Most importantly, she advised women to "talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you."

The Secretary also pointed to the "great need for more evidence, more research and more scientific innovation to help women prevent, detect, and fight breast cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among women."

Your contributions to Stand Up To Cancer have enabled scientists to collaborate on precisely that type of innovative research. Two of the five Dream Teams we have funded thus far have a significant focus on breast cancer. Their work, coupled with that of their colleagues on the other three teams, has the potential to lead to better screening tests and better therapies; tools that will make diagnosis and treatment more reliable, more comprehensive, more precise, more targeted and more effective for many cancer types.

With the controversy about screening casting a glaring spotlight on the need for such research, we wanted to take a moment and express our profound gratitude for your support.

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Here's the full text of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's statement on breast cancer screenings:

"There is no question that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations have caused a great deal of confusion and worry among women and their families across this country. I want to address that confusion head on. The U.S. Preventive Task Force is an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists who make recommendations. They do not set federal policy and they don't determine what services are covered by the federal government.

"There has been debate in this country for years about the age at which routine screening mammograms should begin, and how often they should be given. The Task Force has presented some new evidence for consideration but our policies remain unchanged. Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed its mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action.

"What is clear is that there is a great need for more evidence, more research and more scientific innovation to help women prevent, detect, and fight breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women.

"My message to women is simple. 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."