The Colorectal Cancer Alliance recently issued a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him to preserve the independence of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and maintain no-cost access to colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45.
The letter—endorsed by the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates—follows reports that Secretary Kennedy plans to alter the task force, which is charged with making recommendations on which screenings should be covered at no cost to patients.
“We are optimistic that any changes to the USPSTF will align with the Secretary and President’s mission to Make America Healthy Again,” said Michael Sapienza, CEO of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, in a press release announcing the letter. “We’re hopeful they will reinforce the tremendous progress we’ve made in prevention and early detection through no-cost colorectal cancer screenings that have saved countless American lives.”
The Alliance and its partner organizations went on to cite three “core principles” they said should guide the USPSTF: Decision-making should be part of a “transparent” and “evidence-based” process led by people with a “proven scientific background in preventative services.” In addition, they wrote, current USPSTF screening protections should be upheld. Finally, they argued that the USPSTF has a unique role in population-based assessments that balance the total benefits of a preventive service against total harms, which is distinct from the FDA’s role of assessing a test’s safety and efficacy.
—GEN Staff
