Letter to the WSJ Editor Regarding Rethink The Word ‘Cancer,’ Panel Says

Dear Editor,

We were disappointed in and disagree with the premise contained within “Rethink The Word ‘Cancer,’ Panel Says” published on May 5, 2014, in the Wall Street Journal based on an editorial in Lancet Oncology. We are concerned that the suggestion that nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) should not be referred to as “cancer” – and that fewer screenings should be performed – has the potential to send a dangerous message to patients.