An individualised approach to breast cancer screening that assesses patients' risk, rather than annual mammograms, can lower the chance of more advanced cancers, while still safely matching people to the amount of screening they need, according to a study. 

The findings, by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), based on a study of 46,000 US women, support shifting the approach to screening from one that is based on age alone to one that starts with comprehensive risk assessment to determine each woman's optimal screening schedule.