Study finds no evidence that teaching breast self-examination s...( re unclear. They note however ...),Health

They note, however, that it is possible that highly motivated women could be taught to detect cancers that develop between regular screenings, and that the diligent practice of BSE might enhance the benefit of a mammographic screening program. They suggest that future studies look into this possibility.

In an accompanying editorial, Russell Harris, M.D., and Linda S. Kinsinger, M.D., of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, point out that while teaching BSE seems like a good idea, BSE is more expensive than it first appears, is difficult to learn to do well, and is difficult to do long-term.

They say that the new findings should lead to a change in clinical practice. Rather than spending time teaching BSE, physicians should find ways to educate women about breast cancer symptoms and spend a little longer on the clinical breast exam, they say.

"Routinely teaching BSE may be dead, but giving women information--and continuing research on the effectiveness of excellent physical examination--should live on," the editorialists write.

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Contact: Linda Wang
jncimedia@oupjournals.org
301-841-1287
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
1-Oct-2002