Comment From Breakthrough Breast Cancer On Cochrane Review Of Breast Self Examination
Main Category: Breast CancerAlso Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 17 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT
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Dr Sarah Cant, Policy Manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer says: "Breast self examination is widely practiced in the USA and is a strict and complicated routine that women are taught in order to check their breasts. It is not advocated by breast cancer charities in the UK or the Department of Health, who recommend that women just need to be breast aware. Being breast aware does not mean following a fancy routine - you just need to know what your breasts look and feel like normally in any way you feel comfortable. If you notice any unusual changes or have any worries, check them out with your GP.
"Most of the 44,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year in the UK are detected by women themselves. The earlier that breast cancer is detected, the more likely it is that treatment will be successful. Better breast awareness, together with improved treatments and breast screening, have been shown to contribute to improved survival."
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MLA
14 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/115221.php>
APA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/115221.php.
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Thank You Dr. Cant!
posted by Gail Perry on 17 Jul 2008 at 5:33 amI am frankly appalled by the idea that anyone would tell us to stop examining our breasts. My mother found a small tumor -- quite by accident -- when she was 38 -- in 1958. She was extraordinarily lucky and died at age 69 of something entirely unrelated. I also found my own tumor -- because I was very poor at the time and had no health insurance, and couldn't afford mammograms.
Frankly I have to wonder if any of this is financially motivated -- centers are buying some very expensive new equipment and of course they want it used -- but an awful lot of women find tumors themselves, sometimes when technology has missed it. Some tumors are fast-growing enough to appear between mammograms, and mammograms won't find IBC. The way to survive IBC is to know your breasts and pay close attention to them. That monthly ritual helps with that.
We have fallen so in love with statistics that we've filled our heads and pushed our brains right out, I fear!
I haven't worn a pink ribbon because I get tired of the attention, but I will start now, and tell everyone I possibly can to ignore this chuckle-headed pronouncement.
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