Daniel B. Kopans, MD, FACR is a

radiologist Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiatio ...

specializing in

mammography Mammography (also called mastography) is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through d ...

and other forms of breast imaging. Dr. Daniel Kopans is a leading expert in breast cancer detection and diagnosis. He is the founder of the Breast Imaging Division in the Department of Radiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1984 he was the lead author on a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine describing the developing subspecialty of "Breast Imaging". One of the founders of this new field, Dr. Kopans has been at the forefront of combining mammography, ultrasound, and other imaging tests to aid in the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Dr. Kopans led the defense of screening for women ages 40–49 when an effort was made, in the 1990s, to deny these women access to screening. Dr. Kopans is author of over 200 scientific articles. Dr. Kopans invented the Kopans Wire used in needle localization that made it possible for radiologists to accurately guide surgeons to lesions detected by mammography which made it possible to diagnose breast cancers at a smaller size and earlier stage excisional breast biopsies. He was also instrumental in creation of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (

BI-RADS BI-RADS is an acronym for Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System, a quality assurance tool originally designed for use with mammography. The system is a collaborative effort of many health groups but is published and trademarked by the American ...

) coding system used in all American mammography reports, serving as co-chair of a committee of the American College of Radiology which developed this system. This system helped to standardize the reporting of mammography results. Dr. Kopans has also been a leading figure in the development of breast tomosynthesis. Kopans was a leading figure in the debate over the advisability of screening mammography beginning in the 1980s. During the early 1990s, following a decision by the

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...

to drop support for screening women in their 40s, and subsequently following series of articles in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' by

Gina Kolata Gina Bari Kolata (born February 25, 1948) is an American science journalist, writing for ''The New York Times''. Life and career Kolata was born Gina Bari in Baltimore, Maryland. Her mother, mathematician Ruth Aaronson Bari (1917–2005), was o ...

which questioned the value of screening mammography for those in the 40-50 age group, Dr. Kopans was a leading figure during a prolonged battle, arguing in favor of the benefits of mammography. By 1997, the National Cancer Institute had reversed course and once again supported screening for women in their 40s. However, 2009 United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines no longer recommend routine screening in women 40 to 49. Kopans is author of the textbook ''Breast Imaging''. He practices radiology at

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United Stat ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and is a professor at

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

. Kopans attended

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree Cum Laude in 1969. He received his medical degree from

in 1973, where he was also inducted into the

Alpha Omega Alpha Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society () is an honor society in the field of medicine. Alpha Omega Alpha currently has active Chapters in 132 LCME- accredited medical schools in the United States and Lebanon. It annually elects over 4,000 new ...

Honor Society. Following a medical internship at Dartmouth Medical School, Dr. Kopans completed his residency training in 1977 at

in diagnostic radiology, where he received board certification and was then appointed to the staff of the Department of Radiology at MGH one year later. The American Society of Breast Disease honored Daniel Kopans with the 2007 Pathfinder Award in Breast Imaging for his work in helping to improve breast cancer survival. He is also a recipient of a gold medal from the Society for Breast Imaging.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kopans, Daniel American radiologists Harvard Medical School alumni Geisel School of Medicine alumni Harvard Medical School faculty Living people Harvard College alumni Year of birth missing (living people)