The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening tests for men of any age if they do not have any symptoms of prostate cancer. The Task Force concluded that there is “moderate certainty that the benefits of PSA-based screening for prostate cancer do not outweigh the harms.” Many experts also question whether treating early prostate cancer is a good idea.
Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry, September 17, 2015. By nominating cardiologist Robert M. Califf to be FDA’s next commissioner, the Obama Administration has taken a giant step away from the agency’s traditional avoidance of even the suspicion of coziness with the industries it regulates.
Medpage Today. September 16, 2015. The nomination of Robert Califf, MD, as FDA commissioner is getting good reviews from most health policy and cardiology experts. One area that might cause controversy with Califf’s nomination is his ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Boston Globe, September 14, 2015. Not everyone is pleased with Milken’s behind-the-scenes advocacy. While supporters say the Cures Act, a version of which was passed by the House in July, would make it cheaper and faster to get cutting-edge drugs and medical devices to patients, critics warn that it would create dangerous regulatory shortcuts.
More women are getting an early diagnosis of breast cancer known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Although it is good to find cancer before it becomes life-threatening, many women do not get enough information on their treatment options and end up receiving unnecessary treatment.