ACS Chief Sends Mixed Messages On Mammography

Article by John McDougall, MD. Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society, voiced strong support for annual mammography for women beginning at age 40 in an Op-Ed piece published November 20, 2009, in newspapers nationwide. This position is in sharp contrast to his statement about mammography made in the New York Times on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. On that day he told women "We don't want people to panic, but I'm admitting that American medicine has overpromised when it comes to screening. The advantages to screening have been exaggerated."

Dr. Brawley has known about the questionable benefits of screening for more than a decade. The burden of proof of "the benefits outweighing the harms" rests with those making the recommendations--the American Cancer Society and its Chief Medical Officer in this case. Read more