Jennifer Engels, M.D. is a diagnostic radiologist at Cooper Clinic. Dr. Engels discusses new recommendations regarding mammograms from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

On November 17, 2009, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued new recommendations on screening mammography released in the Annals of Preventive Medicine.  

The task force recommends that women who are considered “low risk for breast cancer” should start screening mammograms at age 50 instead of age 40, and they should be performed every other year instead of annually. The report further recommends that women 75 years of age and older should no longer be screened.Cooper Clinic recommends that all patients consider the risk of a potentially "false positive" mammogram in order to find an early, curable breast cancer. At Cooper Clinic, any additional mammographic views and/or breast ultrasound are performed on the same day as a screening mammogram. Patients leave Cooper Clinic that day with results from their exams without the anxiety of having to wait for the results to come through the mail.

Dr. Engels urges women continue to get their annual mammograms starting at age 40, as 23 percent of breast cancers are diagnosed in women under the age of 50. If the women are high risk, they may also want to talk to their physician about adding breast MRI.