Careful physical breast examination is as effective as screening mammography in reducing mortality from breast cancer in women aged over 50, according to a new study (Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2000;92:1490-9).

The second Canadian national breast screening study found that mammography detected breast cancers earlier than physical breast examination, but surprisingly, earlier detection did not translate into a survival advantage.

The Canadian study, led by Dr Anthony Miller and colleagues at the University of Toronto, followed …