Von Eschenbach put forward a certain, affirmative stance at the hearing. He quelled any concerns of politicians who in unison agreed that airing any uncertainties surrounding mammography's benefits would confuse women and be bad for the American public. Unstated, however, would be how damaging it could prove for the mammography industry and mammography advocates, whose bread and butter depend on mammography. Von Eschenbach took the problem in stride. He reiterated the government's position, backing mammography screening every one to two years for women in their 40s, while senators on both sides of the aisle practically climbed over each other to applaud him. Von Eschenbach is no stranger to debates over mammography. Just prior to his appointment, he gave up his role as American Cancer Society vice president/president-elect and he had just coauthored a report with American Cancer Society (ACS) director of cancer screening Robert Smith.2
"The writing was on the ...
