Breast self examination

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7391.710/b

BMJ 2003;326:710 ( 29 March )

Letters

Breast self examination

Breast self examination provides entry strategy

Editorial misses central point

Breast self examination provides entry strategy

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ Given what is now known about the long subclinical growth phase of human breast cancers, the finding of a recent studyfrom Shanghai, that teaching breast self examination did not detectablyimprove survival, is not surprising.¹ None the less, Austoker'srelated editorial, proclaiming the death of breast self examination,should not go unchallenged.²

Many studies have reported a reduction in primary tumour size dependent on breast self examination, which may in turn enablemore conservative surgery.³ The editorial's implication thatall such end points are rendered illusory by the Shanghai studyis overstated; as if to acknowledge this, Austoker concedes thatprompt symptomatic presentation ("breast awareness") remains important.But is the timely presentation of breast symptoms $---$ of which palpationof a lump is the commonest $---$ so different from what most peopleunderstand by breast selfexamination?

False positive and false negative "costs" are attached to breast self examination . . . [Full text of this article]

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Breast self examination: Joan Austoker
BMJ 2003 326: 1-2. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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