Washington, DC - Today, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) made the following remarks at the Subcommittee on Health hearing on the recent breast cancer screening recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Health Services Task Force (USPSTF).

“Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this important hearing today on an issue that has captured the attention of so many American women. Some predict that one in eight women will have invasive breast cancer at some point in her lifetime. This is a disease that affects so many and I am sure that all Members of this Committee have a loved one that has fought breast cancer. Therefore, it should be no surprise that there has been much interest in the recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on breast cancer screening.  There has been much concern with the way the recommendations were communicated to the American people and there has been some disagreement with the conclusions of the task force.  However, we must consider these recommendations in the proper context and not lose sight of the fact that there is strong agreement—across the government, scientific community, advocacy groups, and health professionals—that screening saves lives and is most effective when decisions related to screening are made between the patient and their doctor.

“The USPSTF, an outside independent panel of doctors and scientists, has a history of respect. They are not a political body, but one that focuses on science. They provide an incredibly valuable service to patients and physicians across the country and it is their unbiased assessments that allow for educated, patient-centered discussions about the type of screening, treatment and care individuals should receive. Without evidence-based guidelines, these types of decisions would be difficult to say the least.

“Based on the evidence to date, the USPSTF now advises that women between the ages of 40 and 49 should decide on an individual basis whether or not to get periodic mammograms, a change from their 2002 population-wide recommendation that women should get routine screening. Other new recommendations include biannual instead of annual mammograms for women age 50 to 74; a statement of insufficient evidence for the need for mammograms for women over 75; and new advice against teaching of breast self-examinations.

“These recommendations were based on scientific studies, not political agendas or cost cutting measures. Some of the panelists today disagree about the final recommendations, but we can all agree is that the evidence to date is inconclusive about the effectiveness of traditional mammogram screenings, especially for women in the age group of 40 to 49. Furthermore, we can all agree that the decisions for these types of diagnostic screenings should be made between individuals and their doctors.

“I want to remind all of my colleagues that our purpose today is not to politicize or attack the USPSTF. Instead, we are here to understand the recommendations, and the science that guided the decision making of the task force.

“Finally, some of my colleagues have tried and will try to twist and mislead the public about the task force recommendations as a means kill health care reform and advance their own political agendas. As the lead author of the H.R. 3962, comprehensive health reform legislation that passed the House last month, let me assure you of the facts:

Health care reform will not prevent women from getting mammograms or lead to rationed care. In fact, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius has stated unequivocally that the task force is an outside body that makes recommendations and not federal policy. She said, ‘the task force has presented some new evidence for consideration, but our policies remain unchanged.’ Under H.R. 3962, millions more men and women across the country will have access to regular screenings and preventative measures that will help everyone stay healthier, longer; and
Health care reform will improve the important patient doctor relationship and decision making abilities.  In fact, these types of evidence-based recommendations enhance patient-centered care. The more doctors and patients know about the effectiveness of screenings, treatments and services, the more people are able to have personalized care that meets their individual needs.  This means, that the decision to get a mammogram remains in the hands of individual women, not an insurance company.
“Thank you again, and I look hearing from our witnesses.”

Congressman Dingell has been a leader on this issue, sponsoring or co-sponsoring several of the most important bills concerning mammograms, including the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA), which ensures that mammography is safe and reliable so that breast cancer is detected in its earliest, most treatable stages.  He first introduced a version of that bill in 1992 and has worked in several Congresses after that to get the bill reauthorized.