Latest news with #UnitedStatesPreventiveServicesTaskForce
NBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- NBC News
Kennedy considering firing members of preventive services task force
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering removing all 16 members of a highly influential advisory committee that offers guidance about preventive health services, such as cancer screenings, HIV prevention medications or tests for osteoporosis, according to two people familiar with the plan. The United States Preventive Services Task Force is a group of independent doctors, nurses and public health experts who volunteer to regularly review volumes of the latest scientific research about diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and mental health, as well as mammograms for breast cancer. Health and Human Services' spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in an emailed statement Friday that 'no final decision has been made on how the USPSTF can better support HHS' mandate to Make America Healthy Again.' Earlier this month, Kennedy caused alarm among task force members after he abruptly postponed a scheduled meeting that was set to focus on heart disease and prevention. At the time, task force members weren't given a reason for the cancellation or whether the meeting would be rescheduled. Kennedy's plans were first reported Friday by The Wall Street Journal. The task force plays an important role in protecting access to screenings and tests because the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, mandates that most private insurers provide the services that the group recommends to patients at no cost. The task force makes its recommendations using a grading scale. Under federal law, services that get an A or B grade but must be covered by insurance plans at no cost for patients. The advisory group has come under fire from conservative groups for some past decisions, including its 'A' recommendation to cover the HIV prevention pill, known as PrEP. The advisory group has come under fire from conservative groups for some past decisions, including its 'A' recommendation to cover the HIV prevention pill, known as PrEP. That recommendation led to a lawsuit from several Christian employers that ended up before the Supreme Court, where the justices decided 6-3 to uphold the Affordable Care Act provision that requires insurers to cover task force-recommended preventive services for free. However, the court agreed with the Trump administration that Kennedy has final say over decisions made by members of the task force because HHS has oversight over the group. As health secretary, he also has the authority to remove and replace members. Kennedy has made children's chronic disease a keystone of his position as the country's top health official. It's unclear which areas of health care Kennedy might target by shaking up the panel. In June, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — which makes recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccines, including for children — and replaced them with eight new members. The new panel includes well-known vaccine critics.
NBC News
11-07-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Kennedy's move to cancel preventive health panel meeting raises alarm
If you've ever been given a free or low-cost test for lung, breast, colon or cervical cancer which caught a tumor, it's likely due to a panel of 16 doctors and public health experts who reviewed the evidence and determined that a screening could save your life. That's why anxiety is growing after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly postponed a meeting this week with the highly influential United States Preventive Services Task Force, a group of 16 independent volunteers that advise the agency about preventative health services and screenings, including mammograms, HIV prevention medications, recommending support for new moms to breastfeed and lifestyle interventions for heart disease. Health insurance plans are required to cover the task force's recommendations under the Affordable Care Act. The meeting, scheduled for July 10, was postponed without explanation. In an emailed statement, Andrew Nixon, an HHS spokesperson, declined to say why the meeting was canceled or whether it would be rescheduled. He did not respond to a follow-up request for comment. An HHS notice sent Monday afternoon to task force members said the agency 'looks forward to engaging with the task force to promote the health and well-being of the American people,' according to two people familiar with the task force meeting. Task force members were not given a reason for the canceled meeting or whether it would be rescheduled, said the two people interviewed, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Many task force members, however, fear Kennedy's move could signal that he's gearing up to fire them and install new members, as he did with a separate advisory committee, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the sources said. Last month, Kennedy fired all 17 members of ACIP — which makes recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines, including for children — and replaced them with eight new members. The new panel includes well-known vaccine critics. 'If you look at how things played out with ACIP, this could be a warning signal,' one of the people said. The United States Preventive Services Task Force is a lesser known group that was first convened in 1984 during the Reagan administration. It includes physicians, nurses, pediatricians and public health experts. The task force plays an important role because the ACA , more commonly known as Obamacare, mandates that most private insurers provide the services that the group recommends to patients at no cost. The task force makes its recommendations using a grading scale. Under federal law, services that get an A or B grade but must be covered by insurance plans at no cost to patients. The advisory group has been subject to outrage for its past decisions, including from conservative groups over an 'A' recommendation to cover the HIV prevention pill, known as PrEP. Its controversial decision against routine blood test screening for prostate cancer in 2008 has been linked to rising rates of advanced cases of the disease. The task force currently advises against PSA-screening for older men, saying that men ages 55 to 69 should talk with their doctors about the benefits and harms. The group usually updates its recommendations every five years after reviewing the latest science on preventive care. For example, in 2021, the task force updated its guidance on heart attack prevention, saying most adults shouldn't take aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. Other recommendations from the task force include that all women begin breast cancer screening every other year starting at the age of 40, down from age 50. It also recommended that children and teens age 8 and up get screened for anxiety. Both have 'B' recommendations. The canceled meeting was set to discuss cardiovascular disease and prevention in adults and children, the people said. 'This institution proves vital,' said Arthur Caplan, the head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. 'The task force provides one of the few independent evidence-based assessments of what ought to be covered, especially in the area of prevention, which Kennedy has made a priority.' 'Postponing the meeting makes me very nervous,' Caplan added. As health secretary, Kennedy does have the authority to remove and appoint new members of the committee, said Jen Kates, senior vice president and director of the Global Health & HIV Policy Program at KFF, a health policy research group. That authority was actually a factor in the Supreme Court's decision last month to uphold the Affordable Care Act provision that requires insurers to cover certain preventive services for free. The court agreed with the Trump administration that the task force members were 'inferior officers,' Kates said, because their work was directed and supervised by Kennedy. 'The Supreme Court basically ruled that the [health] secretary has the power to appoint members and remove them at will,' Kates said. 'So it basically affirms the argument that the secretary has the ultimate authority over the panel.' It's unclear which areas of health care Kennedy might target by shaking up the panel. PrEP, the HIV prevention pill, is 'one to watch,' Kates said, because the Trump administration has already moved to restrict access to the medication in other countries. Caplan said Kennedy could direct the task force to look into topics he's interested in, such as nutrition or processed foods. Health groups immediately pushed back when news broke that Kennedy postponed the meeting. On Wednesday, a letter signed by more than 100 public health groups — including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics — urged U.S. lawmakers to 'defend the task force's integrity.'
Medscape
04-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Rapid Review Quiz: Ovarian Cancer Screening and Prevention
Reliably screening for ovarian cancer in the general population remains a challenge. Common tools such as CA-125 testing and transvaginal ultrasound have shown limited sensitivity and specificity, leading to unnecessary surgeries and false reassurance. However, advances in genetic testing and molecular pathology have reshaped prevention strategies, particularly in individuals at elevated hereditary risk such as BRCA mutation carriers. Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy remains the cornerstone of prevention for high-risk patients, while oral contraceptives offer a risk-reducing effect in the general population. Additionally, genetic counseling has become an essential step in identifying at-risk individuals who may benefit from tailored interventions. How much do you know about recent developments in ovarian cancer screening and prevention? Test your knowledge with this updated review. Despite significant research efforts, no screening strategy has yet demonstrated a mortality benefit in average-risk female patients. As noted in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, landmark clinical trials — including the PLCO (Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian) cancer screening trial — failed to show a survival benefit from annual CA-125 testing or transvaginal ultrasound alone or in combination. The risk of ovarian cancer algorithm (ROCA) — which evaluates CA-125 trends over time — did improve early-stage detection rates but did not ultimately reduce mortality. As a result, current guidelines from the United States Preventive Services Task Force and other expert bodies, including the NCCN, recommend against routine screening for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic, average-risk females. Instead, attention has shifted toward identifying and managing high-risk individuals through genetic counseling and risk-reducing strategies. Routine screening in the general population is considered ineffective and may result in harms from false-positive tests and unnecessary surgical interventions. Learn more about the workup for ovarian cancer. Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) remains the most effective strategy for preventing ovarian and fallopian tube cancer in individuals with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. Guidelines recommend RRSO typically between ages 35 and 45, depending on the specific mutation and family history. This surgery significantly lowers the risk of high-grade serous carcinoma, the most common and aggressive subtype. Studies have shown that RRSO can reduce ovarian cancer risk significantly also confer a survival benefit, particularly in BRCA1 carriers. While oral contraceptives also reduce risk, they do not offer the same degree of protection as surgical removal of at-risk tissue. Annual pelvic exams and imaging have not demonstrated efficacy in early detection or mortality reduction in this population. Patients considering RRSO should be counseled about surgical menopause and may require hormone therapy depending on age and symptom burden. The procedure is essential in the preventive care of high-risk individuals. Learn more more about ovarian cancer deterrence and prevention. Emerging evidence over the past decade suggests that the fallopian tube epithelium — not the ovary — is the origin of many high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas. As a result, the practice of opportunistic salpingectomy — removing the fallopian tubes during hysterectomy or tubal sterilization procedures — has gained traction as a preventive strategy, even in females at average risk. Major gynecologic societies now endorse this practice as a safe and effective risk-reducing option during pelvic surgery for benign indications. The rationale is grounded in the theory of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma as a precursor lesion to high-grade serous cancer. Unlike endometrial cancer, whose origin lies in the uterine lining, salpingectomy directly targets the tissue where most serous carcinomas are thought to begin. Learn more about ovarian cancer and surgical considerations. Current guidelines recommend genetic counseling and consideration of BRCA and multigene panel testing in females with a personal or strong family history of breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer. Identifying carriers of pathogenic variants enables implementation of life-saving risk-reducing strategies, including salpingo-oophorectomy or enhanced surveillance. Importantly, such testing is also offered to individuals with male relatives who have had breast cancer, early-onset cancers, or known mutations in cancer susceptibility genes. Genetic testing should ideally be preceded by counseling to interpret results accurately and discuss implications for family members. Patients with unrelated gynecologic conditions like endometriosis or abnormal uterine bleeding, and those without relevant family history, are not routinely offered genetic testing unless other risk factors emerge. Early identification of mutation carriers is essential for tailored management, timely preventive interventions, and cascade testing of at-risk relatives. Learn more about risk assessment and genetic counseling in ovarian cancer. Multiple large observational studies and meta-analyses have consistently demonstrated a protective effect of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) against ovarian cancer. The reduction in risk is observed with long-term use, typically over 5 years, and persists for decades after discontinuation. The proposed mechanism involves suppression of ovulation, thereby reducing the repetitive trauma and repair cycles to the ovarian epithelium, which may underlie carcinogenesis. The protective effect spans multiple histologic subtypes, including high-grade serous, endometrioid, and clear cell carcinomas. While other agents such as NSAIDs have been evaluated, their protective role is less well established and not considered standard for chemoprevention. Aromatase inhibitors and bisphosphonates are not used for ovarian cancer prevention. As with any medication, the decision to use oral contraceptives must consider individual risk profiles, including thromboembolic and cardiovascular risks, and be guided by patient preferences and shared decision-making. Learn more about ovarian cancer and the impact of oral contraceptives.
20-05-2025
- Health
Biden last had a prostate cancer antigen blood test in 2014, spokesperson says
A representative for former President Joe Biden said he last took a prostate-specific antigen blood test, commonly used to screen for prostate cancer, in 2014. Although the exact date of the test wasn't disclosed, Biden was around 72 years old at the time, which falls in line with current medical guidance and recommendations on who should take a test. Current screening recommendations suggest men age 55 to 69 should discuss the benefits and harms of a PSA test with their doctor and make an individual decision when or if they need it. Men 70 and older should not receive PSA-based screening because of the risk of false positives, according to the United States Preventive Services Task Force. "Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer," the spokesperson said in a statement. Biden announced Sunday that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. A PSA screening is not a perfect test, medical experts say. The older a person is, the more the risk of false positives and unnecessary biopsies increases. Conversely, some people with cancer might have good PSA scores. PSA screening is highly debated among doctors in terms of when it's appropriate to use. Biden's representatives said the former president had a routine physical last week and doctors discovered a small nodule in his prostate. Since his diagnosis was revealed two days ago, President Donald Trump questioned the timing of the announcement and claimed that "somebody is not telling the facts." "I'm surprised that it wasn't, you know -- the public wasn't notified a long time ago because to get to stage nine -- that's a long time," Trump said Monday.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oklahomans are nearly last in getting early lung cancer screening
The American Cancer Society projects that approximately 124,730 Americans will succumb to lung cancer in 2025. This number exceeds the combined expected deaths from the next three most common types of cancer: prostate, breast and colon. Significant efforts are still required to raise awareness about lung cancer and the importance of lung cancer screening, with the goal of improving outcomes at both state and national levels. It is estimated that 3,200 individuals will be diagnosed with lung cancer annually in Oklahoma. Early-stage detection significantly improves long-term survival rates compared to later-stage diagnoses. However, 43% of lung cancer cases in Oklahoma are identified at a later stage, which impacts survival rates negatively. The 5-year survival rate for early-stage lung cancer is approximately 65%, while it is only 9% for lung cancer with distant spread. According to the American Lung Association, Oklahoma ranks 44th out of 47 states where testing has been done in early-stage lung cancer diagnosis and dead last among those 47 states for survival data. This statistic highlights an area with potential for improvement in the future. More: Cuts to Medicaid funding will send 'tidal wave' through Oklahoma's health system | Opinion In recent decades, the survival rate for lung cancer has improved significantly, primarily due to early detection. CT scans for lung cancer screening in high-risk individuals can assist in detecting lung cancer at an earlier stage, thereby enhancing survival rates. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) currently recommends lung cancer screening for individuals who meet the following criteria: Have smoked one pack per day for 20 years or more, Have smoked within the last 15 years, and Are between the ages of 50 and 80. The American Lung Association states that lung cancer screening scans can reduce lung cancer mortality rates by 20%. Enhancing lung cancer screening rates is crucial to improving lung cancer survival both statewide and nationally. The national rate for lung cancer screening within the affected population is approximately 16.5%, whereas, regrettably, Oklahoma ranks last among all 50 states with a screening rate of about 9% in the qualifying population. This disparity presents a significant opportunity to enhance lung cancer screenings and subsequently reduce mortality rates in the coming years. Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for lung cancer, with 80-90% of cases attributable to it. The continuous decline in cigarette smoking in the United States is anticipated to decrease the number of future lung cancer incidences. Extensive efforts have been made in Oklahoma to promote tobacco cessation, and complementary resources are available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW for individuals who wish to cease smoking. If you believe that you or your loved ones may qualify for lung cancer screening, it is important to consult with your physician. A collaborative approach is essential to enhance lung cancer outcomes in Oklahoma, contributing to a healthier community. Samid M. Farooqui is a pulmonary critical care physician from Oklahoma City. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Early screening could improve cancer survival rate in OK| Opinion
