{mosads}Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.), a prostate cancer survivor, said the task force guidelines seem to suggest that “ignorance is not only bliss, but it’s good public policy.”
The lawmakers were particularly concerned that the task force made its recommendation “regardless … of race and family history.” They say black men, people with a family history of the illness and veterans exposed to Agent Orange were more at risk and shouldn’t be lumped with the general population.
The pushback comes after women across the country ripped into the task force when it came out against routine mammograms for women in their 40s. The National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society still recommend routine screenings for women starting at age 40.