Tiger Woods Injured In Car Accident (PHOTOS)

Lila Shapiro — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:47:59 -0500

UPDATE, 7:23 PM: A source familiar with the situation tells the Huffington Post that Woods and his wife were arguing about his alleged affair prior to the accident.

UPDATE, 7:18 PM: SportsByBrooks has posted additional photos of Rachel Uchitel, Tiger Woods' alleged mistress.

UPDATE, 5:59 PM: Although Woods was scheduled to speak with the police today, his agent told authorities that he and his wife are not available after all. Click here for more.

UPDATE, 3:59 PM: Woods' alleged mistress, Rachel Uchitel, is considering suing the National Enquirer for defamation, according to TMZ. Click here for quotes from Uchitel, including her strong denial that she had an affair with Woods. "We have never had an affair, and the claims we did are completely false."

UPDATE, 2:59 PM: The AP reports that the Police will release the 911 tapes on Sunday.

UPDATE, 2:53 PM: Click here for photos of Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, driving a Cadillac SUV today.

UPDATE, 1:57 PM: WFTV has obtained photographs of Woods' damaged vehicle. See them here.

UPDATE, 1:19 PM: TMZ reports that Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, has already changed her story from what was said yesterday about using a golf club to remove Woods from his vehicle.

But we've learned Nordegren told a very different story to the Florida Highway Patrol, and it does not involve going back in the house for a club. Our sources will not allow us to be more specific.

Check TMZ for additional details. Click here for photos of the former model.

UPDATE, 9:39 AM: 911 tapes will not be released until Monday at the earliest, the AP reports.

*** SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS ***

UPDATE, 11/28 12:43 AM: TMZ drops a bomb, reporting that Tiger Woods' wounds came from the hands of his wife, not a car accident:

We're told he said his wife had confronted him about reports that he was seeing another woman. The argument got heated and, according to our source, she scratched his face up. We're told it was then Woods beat a hasty retreat for his SUV -- but according to our source, Woods says his wife followed behind with a golf club. As Tiger drove away, she struck the vehicle several times with the club.

We're told Woods became "distracted," thought the vehicle was stopped, and looked to see what had happened. At that point the SUV hit the fire hydrant and then hit a tree.

Read their full report here.

UPDATE, 11:32 PM: Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Montes says "we don't believe [the incident] is a domestic issue."

"Right now we believe this is a traffic crash. We don't believe it is a domestic issue," Montes said, replying to reporters' questions. "I don't know where that is coming from. That has not been told to us."

UPDATE, 10:59 PM: Scroll down for photos of the accident scene.

UPDATE, 7:14 PM: TMZ reports that "multiple law enforcement officials" say Woods and his wife fought before the car crash. Days earlier, rumors surfaced that Woods was having an affair.

UPDATE, 6:13 PM: Windermere Police Chief Daniel Saylor says that Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, smashed the SUV open with a golf club to get Woods out of the vehicle. Click here for more.

UPDATE, 4:12 PM: Additional details in an AP update:

(AP) Tiger Woods was injured in a car accident early Friday when his car struck a tree near his mansion in a gated waterfront community, authorities said.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the 33-year-old PGA star hit the hydrant and a tree after pulling out of his driveway in his 2009 Cadillac sports utility vehicle.

The patrol reported Woods' injuries as serious, though Woods spokesman Glenn Greenspan said the golfer was treated at a hospital and released in good condition.

The patrol said alcohol was not involved, though the accident remains under investigation and charges could be filed. No one else was in the car, patrol spokeswoman Kim Montes said.

Woods' $2.4 million home is part of the exclusive Isleworth subdivision near Orlando, a community set on an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course and a chain of small lakes. The neighborhood, which is fortified with high brick walls and has its own security force, is home to CEOs and other sports stars such as the NBA's Shaquille O'Neal.

The accident happened at 2:25 a.m., though the FHP did not release the accident report until nearly 12 hours later.

Gary Bruhn, mayor of the adjacent community of Windermere, said police from that village were among the first on the accident scene and saw Woods with cuts on his face. Montes said troopers consider the injuries serious if they require more than minor medical attention.

Woods, who has won 82 times around the world and 14 majors, attended the Stanford-Cal football game, where he tossed the coin at the start of the game and was inducted into Stanford's sports Hall of Fame at halftime.

He had traveled to China and Australia earlier in the month, winning the Australian Masters on Nov. 15.

Woods was to host his tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, on Monday at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

He won six times this year after missing eight months recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left knee. Even though he failed to win a major, Woods said he considered this a successful year because he did not know how his knee would respond.

UPDATE, 3:31 PM: CNN is reporting that according to the mayor of Windermere, Florida, Woods has been released from the hospital. A CNN affiliate reports that Woods suffered facial lacerations.

UPDATE, 3:08 PM: MarketWatch reports that Florida's highway patrol says alcohol was not involved.

UPDATE, 3:05 PM: CNBC's Darren Rovell tweets that Woods' agent says Woods "is fine."

EARLIER:

(AP) ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tiger Woods was seriously injured early Friday when he hit a fire hydrant and a tree near his Florida home, authorities said.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the PGA star hit the fire hydrant and tree as he pulled out of his driveway in his 2009 Cadillac sport utility vehicle.

Woods was taken to Health Central Hospital. Officials there did not have record of him as a patient, though the news release said Woods' injuries were serious.

The highway patrol said the crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending. However, the highway patrol said the crash was not alcohol-related.

Woods, 33, owns a home in the exclusive subdivision of Isleworth near Orlando. Orange County property records indicate his home is valued at $2.4 million.

Palin Tricked By Comedian Again, Says Canada Should Drop Public Health Care (VIDEO)

Lila Shapiro — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:52:17 -0500

At a recent stop on her "Going Rogue" book tour, Sarah Palin told Canadian comedian Mary Walsh that Canada should get rid of its public health care system.

Walsh is the co-creator and star of This Hour Has 22 Minutes -- a nightly news parody show in the same vein as The Daily Show -- and she arrived in character, as the conservative Marg Delahunty, to the Borders where Palin (the "Alaskan Aphrodite") was signing books.

"I just wanted to ask you if you have any words of encouragement for Canadian conservatives who have worked so hard to try to diminish the kind of socialized medicine we have up there." Walsh

Celebrities Who Changed Their Names: Who Is Most Ridiculous? (PHOTOS, POLL)

Katy Hall — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:00:35 -0500

Some celebrities' names are as outrageous as their stage costumes (Lady Gaga and Pink come to mind) but you may not realize just how many actors were born with names they shed or modified upon arrival in Hollywood. Whether to minimize (real or imagined) ethnic bias or just for vanity's sake, these big names are not the ones their parents gave them. Who changed for the better and who's just being silly? You decide.

PHOTOS:

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Arianna Discusses Obama's Afghanistan Decision On Charlie Rose (VIDEO)

Huff TV — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:15:50 -0500

If you were traveling on Thanksgiving Eve, you might have missed Arianna on Charlie Rose. She was there to discuss President Obama's forthcoming decision on US troop levels in Afghanistan. Joining Arianna were Yale English Professor David Bromwich, Council On Foreign Relations President Emeritus and Board Senior Fellow Leslie Gelb, Politico Editor-In-Chief John Harris, and New Yorker Senior Editor Hendrik Hertzberg.

It has been reported that the president will send 34,000 more US troops for duty in Afghanistan, just 6,000 shy of the full 40,000 requsted by U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Arianna argued that Obama's reported decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan calls into question his whole leadership. He stood before the country during the Democratic National Convention in 2008 and told voters that the greatest risk for the U.S. in Afghanistan would be to do the same old thing, play the same old politics, with the same old players and then expect different results. And yet here he is, Arianna explained, poised to do just that.

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Theism v. Atheism: I'm A Realist, Not An "Accommodationist"

Michael Shermer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:36:37 -0500

On the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (Tuesday, November 24) I wrote an invited opinion editorial for CNN.

The title, "Religion, Evolution can Live Side by Side," was written by the CNN editors, but it does capture the thrust of the piece, as it seems to me that believers who accept Newton's theory of gravity as the means by which God creates stars, planets, solar systems, galaxies, and universes, can just as readily accept Darwin's theory of evolution as the means by which God creates life.

Perhaps predictably, there have been critics responding on both sides, most notably the estimable Jerry Coyne, the author of one of the best books ever written on the subject, Why Evolution is True, who on his web page of the same title called me an "accommodationist" and even a "faitheist" (not sure what that is--"faith atheist"? but it's clever!) Anyway, Jerry is "disappointed" in me and wonders if I've gone soft in the brain because of a Templeton Foundation sponsorship. Read it here.

The responses to Jerry's blog have been interesting, and sometimes amusing:

"What Shermer is trying to make peace with are sensible moderate theists, not fundamentalists. It is the people in the middle, not those on the fringes, who will, ultimately, determine the virulence of religion and irreligion. Shermer is trying to reduce religion's virulence, not embracing fundamentalist ownership of the Bible, and it's ridiculous interpretations of it. Shermer is right to reclaim the Bible as part of the Western cultural patrimony, and not leave it to fundamentalists to tell us what it means, and the implications to be drawn from it."

"Michael Freakin' Shermer's heart is not pure enough for Jerry Coyne. If Jerry Falwell's circle of orthodoxy was, say, 1 meter in radius, then His Worshipfulness The Right Reverend Jerry Coyne's circle of orthodoxy has a radius of, roughly, a Planck Length."

For the record, I am not sponsored by Templeton, and I've never received a grant or fellowship of any kind from them. They did pay me to write and edit some articles for them (work-for-pay is okay!), but insisted that I could say anything I wanted and could invite anyone I like to contribute to an essay collection, including Christopher Hitchens and Steve Pinker (to answer the question "Does science make belief in God obsolete?").

What is the right way to respond to theists and/or theism? That is the question asked at every atheism/humanism conference I've attended the past several years. The answer is simple: there is no one "right way." There are multiple ways, all of which work, depending on the context. Sometimes a head-on, take-no-prisoners, full-frontal assault á la Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, or Jerry Coyne is the way to go. Sometimes a more conciliatory approach á la Carl Sagan, Stephen Jay Gould, or your humble servant is best. It all depends on the context and what you are trying to accomplish. When I debate creationists -- whether of the Young Earth, Old Earth, or the Intelligent Design species -- I try to take a Dawkinsonian/Coyneian approach and slam-dunk their flawed arguments and duplicitous claims without an ounce of accommodationism (although I am, by nature and upbringing, polite and respectful). Christopher Hitchens's recent body slam he and Stephen Fry gave the Catholic Church for its stance on women's rights, birth control, and Third World poverty would have brought tears to my eyes had I not been cheering so fervently.

On the other hand, if it is our goal to educate everyone on earth to the power and wonders of science (as it is the Skeptics Society and www.skeptic.com) and to employ science to solve social, political, economic, medical and environmental problems (as it is my personal goal), then we need as many people as we can get on board with a common goal, whatever it may be (starvation in Africa, disease in India, poverty in South America, global warming everywhere ... pick your battle). If you insist that people of faith renounce every last ounce of their beliefs before they are allowed to join the common fight against these scourges of humanity, you have just alienated the vast majority of the world's population from your project.

To what end? So you can stand up tall and proud and proclaim " ... but I never gave an inch to those faith heads!"? Well good for you! Just keep on playing "Nearer my Atheism to Thee" while the ship of humanity slips further into the depths of disaster.

Sometimes religion is the problem, but usually it is something else -- local political battles, governmental corruption, lack of education, resource depletion, currency debasement, inflation, poverty, etc. Don't forget the bigger picture of what we're trying to accomplish through science and reason: a better life for all humanity. Pick your battles carefully and choose your strategy wisely.

Free iPhone Apps To Waste 5 Minutes (PHOTOS)

Megan Berry — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:00:32 -0500

People always want to focus on using the iPhone to be productive. I'm certainly no exception, but for this article I'd like us all to embrace the fact that the iPhone is excellent at wasting time. In fact, the iPhone App Store provides more than 100,000 ways to spend your time, and I want to highlight just a few of the many apps that have absolutely no productive value. Got 5 minutes to spare and no desire to get anything done (or buy anything)? Well then I've got some apps for you...

Dubai's Request For Debt 'Standstill' Shakes World Markets

Alex Leo — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:27:41 -0500

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Just a year after the global downturn derailed Dubai's explosive growth, the city is now so swamped in debt that it's asking for a six-month reprieve on paying its bills – causing a drop on world markets Thursday and raising questions about Dubai's reputation as a magnet for international investment.

The fallout came swiftly and was felt globally after Wednesday statement that Dubai's main development engine, Dubai World, would ask creditors for a "standstill" on paying back its $60 billion debt until at least May. The company's real estate arm, Nakheel – whose projects include the palm-shaped island in the Gulf – shoulders the bulk of money due to banks, investment houses and outside development contractors. In total, the state-backed networks nicknamed Dubai Inc. are $80 billion in the red and the emirate needed a bailout earlier this year from its oil-rich neighbor Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Markets took the news badly – with the Dubai woes and the continued fall of the U.S. dollar giving investors twin worries. Dubai's move raised concerns about debt across the Gulf Region. Prices to insure debt from Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all rose by double-digit percentages Thursday, according to data from CMA DataVision.

In Europe, the FTSE 100, Germany's DAX and the CAC-40 in France opened sharply lower. Earlier in Asia, the Shanghai index sank 119.19 points, or 3.6 percent, in the biggest one-day fall since Aug. 31. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 1.8 percent to 22,210.41.

Wall Street was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and most markets in the Middle East were silent because of a major Islamic feast.

"Dubai's standstill announcement ... was vague and it remains difficult to discern whether the call for a standstill will be voluntary," said a statement from the Eurasia Group, a Washington-based research group that assesses political and financial risk for foreign investors interested in Dubai.

"If it is not, Dubai World will be going into default and that will have more serious negative repercussions for Dubai's sovereign debt, Dubai World and market confidence in the UAE in general," the statement added.

Dubai became the Gulf's biggest credit crunch victim a year ago. But its ruler, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, had continually dismissed concerns over the city-state's liquidity and claims it overreached during the good times.

When asked about the debt, he confidently assured reporters in a rare meeting two months ago that "we are all right" and "we are not worried," leaving details of a recovery plan – if such a plan exists – to everyone's guess.

Then, earlier this month, he told Dubai's critics to "shut up."

"He needs to produce a recovery plan that will be respected by those who want to do business with Dubai," said Simon Henderson, a Gulf and energy specialist at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "If he does not do it right, Dubai will be a sad place."

After months of denial that the economic downturn even touched the glitzy city-state, the Dubai government earlier this year showed signs of trying to deal with the financial fallout that has halted dozens of projects and touched off an exodus of expatriate workers.

In February, it raised $10 billion in a hastily arranged bond sale to the United Arab Emirates central bank, which is based in Abu Dhabi.

The deal – seen by many as Abu Dhabi's bailout of Dubai – was part of a $20 billion bond program to help Dubai meet its debt obligations.

On Wednesday, the Dubai Finance Department announced the emirate raised another $5 billion by selling bonds – all taken by two banks controlled by Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi's ruling Al Nahyan family has been more conservative with its spending, investing oil profits into infrastructure, culture and state institutions. During Dubai's real estate bonanza, the Nahyans saw their flashy neighbor race ahead with development plans and tourism plans that had plenty of hype but few details on how they would be pulled off.

Some did materialize. The more than 2,600-foot (800-meter) Burj Dubai is scheduled to open in January as the world's tallest building. But many other projects, including a tower even taller than the Burj Dubai and satellite cities in the desert, are still just blueprints.

The standstill will likely not immediately affect CityCenter, an $8.5 billion casino complex opening next month in Las Vegas that is half-owned by Dubai World. A Dubai World subsidiary and casino operator MGM Mirage agreed with banks in April to fully fund and finish the six-tower, 67-acre development of plush resorts, condominiums, a retail mall and one casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

However, the standstill's effect may be felt on the famous Keeneland thoroughbred horse auctions near Lexington, Ky., where Sheik Mohammed is a prominent bidder.

Last week, Sheik Mohammed demoted several prominent members of Dubai's corporate elite and replaced them with members of the ruling family, including his two sons, one of whom is Mohammed's designated heir.

Businessmen who fell out of favor were closely associated with Dubai's phenomenal success. They include the head of Dubai World, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, and Mohammed Alabbar, the chief of Emaar Properties, developer of the Burj Dubai and hundreds of other projects.

"He is trying to shake things up," said Christopher Davidson, a lecturer on the Gulf at Britain's Durham University and an author of two books on the UAE.

However, Davidson added, Mohammed's decision to replace those who helped put Dubai on the world map with his relatives might be "read as an increase in autocracy which does not look good internationally."

Not everyone is upset at Dubai Inc.'s transformation into a family business, analysts say.

Mohammed's latest moves may have pleased Abu Dhabi more than the foreign investors, but it is Abu Dhabi that still has the strongest incentives to save Dubai from its financial misery.

"By shifting the power base back to the family things are as they should be as far as Abu Dhabi is concerned," said Mohammed Shakeel, a Dubai-based analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit.

After an expensive adventure in doing things the Western way, it's "going back to basics" for Dubai, Shakeel added.

___

Associated Press writer Oskar Garcia in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

15 Toys NOT To Buy Your Kids This Christmas (PHOTOS)

Alex Leo — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:43:36 -0500

There are so many options out there, please do not buy your children these boring, inappropriate, or crazypants toys. Please.

White House Thanksgiving Dinner: MENU

Lila Shapiro — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:23:15 -0500

The White House has released details about the First Family's Thanksgiving dinner:

They are hosting about 50 guests including family, friends and staff. Obama's favorite Thanksgiving dishes are turkey and pumpkin pie.

Menu:
Turkey
Honey-Baked Ham
Cornbread Stuffing
Oyster Stuffing
Greens
Macaroni and Cheese
Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole

Banana Cream Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Sweet Potato Pie
Huckleberry Pie
Cherry Pie

Sarah Palin Quits Turkey Trot 5K Race In Kennewick, Washington

T.J. Ortenzi — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:59:50 -0500

Sarah Palin dropped out of a 5k race on Thanksgiving Day in Kennewick, Wash. The former vice presidential candidate and Alaska Governor quit the race because she wanted to avoid the crowds that were waiting for her at the end, according to The Tri-Cities Herald.

Palin was 1 of about 3,000 participants. The paper reported that her presence drew a "mass of onlookers." Palin announced that she would be running the race on Twitter.

The former Republican vice-presidential candidate visited nearby Richland, Wash., to spend the holiday with relatives. She said it's good to be back in the Tri-Cities to reconnect with "the roots." Her grandparents, Clem and Helen Sheeran, came to Richland in 1943.

The Decline Of Empires (VIDEO)

Nick Sabloff — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:06:42 -0500

This video presents a neat visualization of the evolution of four maritime empires (British, French, Spanish and Portuguese) year-by-year over the course of the last two centuries. As these empires eventually decline, bits of the circles break off to represent the countries that gained independence from the various imperiums. Needless to say, by the end of the video the circles have all but disappeared. (h/t Kottke.)

Visualizing empires decline from Pedro M Cruz on Vimeo.

Peter Jackson: Looking Fierce Debuting "The Lovely Bones" (PHOTOS)

Katherine Thomson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:59:09 -0500

Director Peter Jackson is busy doing press for "The Lovely Bones," and he's looking fantastic doing it.

Jackson has been in Rome this week for the Italian premiere and he's barely recognizable as the Oscar-winning director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. He lost 70 lbs between the early 2004 awards and the December 2005 premiere of "King Kong" by eating right and working out, and he got laser surgery to lose the glasses.

The healthier lifestyle clearly agrees with him as this week in Rome, decked out in a tuxedo with his beard trimmed, he looked a decade younger than his 48 years.

"The Lovely Bones" stars Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon and Rachel Weisz and opens in the US on December 11. Scroll to the bottom to watch the trailer.

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Beck Rules Out 2012 Run With Palin: She'd Always Be 'Yapping' Like We're 'In The Kitchen' (AUDIO)

Lila Shapiro — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:26:10 -0500

Fox News host Glenn Beck put to rest any rumors of one possible "dream ticket" team for 2012: Palin-Beck. On his radio show Thursday, Beck said he was "absolutely" ruling out the possibility of running for office with the ex-governor at the top of the ticket. His proffered reason: Palin would always be "yapping," like they were "in the kitchen."

Earlier in the week Palin said that she was open to the idea of pairing up with Beck. Palin told Fox News she "got a kick" out of the idea of them running together. She went on cheerfully, "He probably thought it was just a hoot too. I don't know, we'll see." Palin told Newsmax she could "envision a couple of different combinations, if ever I were to be in a position to really even seriously consider running for anything in the future, and I'm not there yet." She added: "But Glenn Beck I have great respect for. He's a hoot."

It looks like the respect might not be mutual. From the morning's radio show:

BECK: I don't think things are hoots. I don't. I don't think it's a hoot. I would never use the word hoot, and I respectfully ask that every time my name is brought up she would stop using the word 'hoot.' [...]

No, no I'm just saying -- Beck-Palin, I'll consider. But Palin-Beck -- can you imagine, can you imagine what an administration with the two of us would be like? What? Come on! She'd be yapping or something, and I'd say, "I'm sorry, why am I hearing your voice? I'm not in the kitchen."

Watch Palin on Palin-Beck in 2012:

Amali, 5-Year-Old Giraffe, Arrives At Tulsa Zoo With Crooked Neck (VIDEO)

Gazelle Emami — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:39:08 -0500

Amali, the five-year-old giraffe, has the world's biggest crick in her neck. The giraffe's neck somehow got bent way out of shape while en route to her new home, the Tulsa Zoo, the Associated Press reported.

How exactly does a giraffe's neck get so crooked? Apparently, it's a mystery.

"We know it somehow happened in transport, we don't know what happened," Dr. Kay Backues, zoo veterinarian, said. "The transport driver reported no incidents that would indicate how the animal injured itself, so no, we don't know."

While only an X-ray will show whether her neck is broken. Amali does not show any signs of pain, given that she is functioning normally, eating, drinking, and interacting with the other animals, Backues said. Possibly only her vanity has been wounded, as the zoo isn't giving Amali her public debut until she looks normal again.

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Stop Worrying, It May Cost You Your Mammogram!

Rebecca Booth, MD — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:25:33 -0500

Yes, "breast cancer worry" is a factor listed as one of the "harms" of breast cancer screening. In fact, this "syndrome" is partly responsible for why the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently stated that this "test" is no longer a screening recommendation for most 40-something women. Wait, there is more... physicians are also not to instruct women on self-breast exam because it too raises the ghastly specter of "breast cancer worry." The evidence to support this includes a study from Shanghai demonstrating that a self exam may cost more than it rewards...now we may have to say to patients, stop checking your breasts or you may begin to suffer from the current epidemic syndrome: "Breast Cancer Worry."

Reading the very article in The Annals of Internal Medicine announcing the USPSTF recommendation changes sends a chill up my spine. Yes, my livelihood depends on the care and screening of women, but I also care about those women, many of whom are my dear friends, long loved patients, and relatives of mine. I don't want them to end up with unnecessary biopsies, but one in eight (the incidence of breast cancer) is a very scary statistic. My fear is that actuarial tables analyzing benefits do not consistently reflect what is best for the individual patient. Consider this excerpt from the USPSTF statement:

"Thus, the absolute risk reduction from screening (as shown by the number needed to invite to screen) is greater for women aged 50 to 59 years than for those aged 40 to 49 years."

Basically, the task force analysis indicates that the acceptable number of women tested with mammogram to save one life is somewhere between 1300 (for 50-somethings) and 1900 (for 40-somethings). It clearly takes fewer 50-somethings screened to save a life than 40-somethings, and a line had to be drawn somewhere--so it was drawn at 50. Apparently due to lack of scientific data all bets are off from age 75, so no recommendation can be made for these women.

This (from a separate supporting article in The Annals of Internal Medicine) is even scarier:

"If program benefits are measured in life-years, the measure most commonly used in cost-effectiveness analysis, then our results suggest that initiating screening at age 40 years saves more life-years than extending screening past age 69 years (albeit at the cost of increasing the number of false-positive mammograms)."

In other words, the 40-something has more to gain than the 70-something from mammography screening...but apparently not as much as the 50-something who is at even higher risk than the 40-something. After all, if you start screening at 40, the 40-something will have 10 extra years of "Breast Cancer Worry" to deal with than the 50-something.

If you are confused, you are not alone. Most of the leading experts on the USPSTF panel have backgrounds in public health. That may mean that policy recommendations are weighted toward cost effectiveness, not merely saving or extending lives. Most medical organizations are responding to this recommendation with "ask your doctor," advisories. The problem is that insurance companies may run with the task force advice; it would save them millions.

The American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology has suggested that we docs in the trenches ignore the USPSTF change for now. The Department of Health and Human Services seems to be distancing themselves from the report (although the task force website link ends in .gov). The patients are questioning the controversy, and clinicians are trying to put out the mixed messages fires.

In the meantime I recently called another 40-something about the early breast cancer found on her mammogram. She is very worried, and very much alive. She is not going to die from "Breast Cancer Worry", or for that matter: breast cancer...she started having screening mammograms at age 40.

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