60 Cancer Patient and Provider Groups Urge Secretary Kennedy to Protect the Integrity of the US Preventive Services Task Force

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, 60 organizations representing millions of cancer patients and survivors as well as the providers who care for them sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy conveying the importance of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in the fight against cancer and urging protection for the integrity of its work. This follows the announcement last week of a dismissal of leadership of USPSTF.

The USPSTF is critical in the fight against cancer because it has historically provided evidence-based recommendations for cancer prevention services, including screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancers, as well as tobacco cessation services. Under the Affordable Care Act, USPSTF recommendations determine which preventive health services, including at least 16 preventive services related to cancer prevention and early detection, most private health insurance companies must cover without charging patients out-of-pocket costs. 

“This year, more than 2 million people are expected to hear the words, ‘you have cancer.’ The work of the Task Force in identifying evidence-based preventive services saves lives by preventing disease outright and detecting it at earlier stages, when treatment can be more effective and less invasive. USPSTF is fundamental to our country’s efforts to prevent and reduce the burden of cancer and other chronic diseases,” the groups write in the letter. 

The letter concludes with, “Access to no-cost evidence-based preventive services saves lives. USPSTF’s work supports the foundation of evidence-based care, insurance coverage standards, and clinicians’ ability to deliver timely, appropriate, and life-saving preventive services. With a shared commitment to improving health and reducing the burden of cancer and other chronic diseases, we ask you to protect the scientific integrity and rigor along with patient access that USPSTF’s evidence-based recommendations provide clinicians and patients.” 

The full letter is available here. The list of cancer patient and provider groups who sent this letter is as follows: 

Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention 

American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP) 

American Association for Cancer Research 

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network 

American College of Chest Physicians 

American Gastroenterological Association 

American Indian Cancer Foundation 

American Lung Association 

American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative 

American Society of Clinical Oncology 

American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 

Association of American Cancer Institutes  

Association of Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurses 

Black Women's Health Imperative 

Byrd Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation  

Cancer Support Community 

CancerCare 

Check for a Lump 

Children's Brain Tumor Foundation 

Children's Cancer Cause 

Color of Gastrointestinal Illnesses 

Colorectal Cancer Alliance 

Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer 

DenseBreast-info, Inc. 

Fight Colorectal Cancer 

Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer (GIAHC) 

GO2 for Lung Cancer 

Head & Neck Cancer Alliance 

HealthyWomen 

Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association  

Hope for Stomach Cancer 

HPV Cancers Alliance 

International Society of Pediatric Oncology - North America 

Livestrong 

Living Beyond Breast Cancer  

LUNGevity Foundation 

Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance  

METAvivor: Metastatic Breast Cancer Research, Advocacy, and Support 

MIB Agents Osteosarcoma 

NAACP 

National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions 

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners 

National Black Nurses Association  

National Comprehensive Cancer Network 

National Consumers League 

Oncology Nursing Society 

Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Coalition (PPPC)  

Prevent Cancer Foundation  

Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research 

Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer 

Stupid Cancer, Inc. 

Susan G. Komen 

The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation 

The Balm In Gilead, Inc. 

The Cancer Network 

The Latino Cancer Institute  

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons  

Tigerlily Foundation 

Triage Cancer 

ZERO Prostate Cancer

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