The American Cancer Society suggests less frequent mammograms for women

The American Cancer Society has raised the suggested age for women with average risk of breast cancer to begin annual mammograms from 40 to 45, the U.S.'s largest cancer charity said Tuesday. New research has found that due in part to issues of "overdiagnosis," mammograms can sometimes cause more harm than good.

At 45, however, a woman's risk of breast cancer has been shown to spike. After menopause, cancers grow more slowly, so women can transition to being screened every other year after age 55, the American Cancer Society said. The charity also suggested that doctors no longer need to perform breast exams during women's checkups, as these screenings have been shown to have no effect on saving lives.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up