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| Breast check confusion a problem | Breast check confusion a problem |
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| Women remain confused about the right way to check their breasts for early signs of cancer, says a charity. | Women remain confused about the right way to check their breasts for early signs of cancer, says a charity. |
| Experts say there is no evidence that rigorous monthly "self-examination" reduces breast cancer deaths and it can lead to unnecessary biopsies. | |
| In the UK, the focus is on breast "awareness", rather than more complex and involved checks. | In the UK, the focus is on breast "awareness", rather than more complex and involved checks. |
| However, Breast Cancer Breakthrough says some UK women rely on US-based websites recommending self-examination. | However, Breast Cancer Breakthrough says some UK women rely on US-based websites recommending self-examination. |
| There is a lot of information out there from the US, and this is easily obtained on the internet Dr Sara CantBreakthrough Breast Cancer | There is a lot of information out there from the US, and this is easily obtained on the internet Dr Sara CantBreakthrough Breast Cancer |
| The Department of Health has not endorsed breast self-examination since the early 1990s, but US authorities still do. | The Department of Health has not endorsed breast self-examination since the early 1990s, but US authorities still do. |
| Women who follow the programme often closely check their breasts on the same day in each monthly cycle, feel them using a certain pressure, in a standing and lying position, and can view them from different profiles using a mirror. | Women who follow the programme often closely check their breasts on the same day in each monthly cycle, feel them using a certain pressure, in a standing and lying position, and can view them from different profiles using a mirror. |
| They are told to write down details of anything they find in a diary. | They are told to write down details of anything they find in a diary. |
| The Cochrane review looked at all the available evidence on the success of self-examination programmes, principally two large studies of a total of 388,535 women in Russia and China, half of whom self-examined, while the other half did not. | The Cochrane review looked at all the available evidence on the success of self-examination programmes, principally two large studies of a total of 388,535 women in Russia and China, half of whom self-examined, while the other half did not. |
| The death rates from breast cancer were the same in both groups, while there were almost twice the number of biopsy operations - used to take a tissue sample for analysis - in the self-examination group. | The death rates from breast cancer were the same in both groups, while there were almost twice the number of biopsy operations - used to take a tissue sample for analysis - in the self-examination group. |
| This, said the researchers, suggested that self-examination could be leading to more women receiving unnecessary biopsies. | This, said the researchers, suggested that self-examination could be leading to more women receiving unnecessary biopsies. |
| "At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination cannot be recommended," they wrote. | "At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination cannot be recommended," they wrote. |
| 'Unaware of advice' | 'Unaware of advice' |
| Despite recommendations against self-examination in the UK, charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer said there were still likely to be many women who believed this was the right way to check their breasts. | Despite recommendations against self-examination in the UK, charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer said there were still likely to be many women who believed this was the right way to check their breasts. |
| Dr Sara Cant said: "There is a lot of information out there from the US, and this is easily obtained on the internet - and there are UK sites where this advice is given, usually with the best of intentions. | Dr Sara Cant said: "There is a lot of information out there from the US, and this is easily obtained on the internet - and there are UK sites where this advice is given, usually with the best of intentions. |
| "On top of this, some women who started examining their breasts this way before the advice changed in the 1990s may be unaware that new advice has been issued." | "On top of this, some women who started examining their breasts this way before the advice changed in the 1990s may be unaware that new advice has been issued." |
| She said that the best way for a woman to check her breasts was not to follow a strict examination routine, but to get to know what is normal for her, and feel them regularly for signs of any changes. | She said that the best way for a woman to check her breasts was not to follow a strict examination routine, but to get to know what is normal for her, and feel them regularly for signs of any changes. |
| "We call it TLC - touch, look and check. This approach, coupled with regularly attending breast screening when invited, and modern treatments, has significantly reduced breast cancer mortality." | "We call it TLC - touch, look and check. This approach, coupled with regularly attending breast screening when invited, and modern treatments, has significantly reduced breast cancer mortality." |