USPSTF endorses mammography for women in forties: Expanded federa1 recommendations aim to quell uncertainty about value of screening. (Every 1-2 Years).(Brief Article)

WASHINGTON - Federal health officials have rallied to defend mammography amid renewed controversy over its value for breast cancer screening.

In a move aimed at reassuring physicians and patients, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced last month that it was expanding its guidelines by calling for screening mammography every 1-2 years for women aged 40 and older.

In updating its 1996 recommendations, the USPSTF for the first time joined the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and other medical organizations in recommending that women in their 40s undergo screening mammography.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said that the recent atmosphere of uncertainty about …