DIY breast checks 'harmful'
source: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Health/Self-Examination-Breast-Checks-Do-More-Harm-Than-Goo...
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DIY breast checks may do more harm than good, a study has suggested.
Under current medical guidance from the Department of Health, women are advised to be "breast aware" by familiarising themselves with how they feel so they notice any changes.
But a review of research studies involving more than 380,000 women who regularly checked their breasts for lumps concluded that the practice had no effect on deaths from breast cancer.
It may even be detrimental as women who thought they found lumps underwent biopsies that turned out to be unnecessary.
Self examination led to twice as many biopsies that turned out to be negative for cancer than women who did not check their breasts.
"At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination (by a trained health worker) cannot be recommended," said study authors Jan Peter Kosters and Peter Gotzsche, from the Copenhagen-based Nordic Cochrane Centre.
However, they did not go as far as telling people to stop checking their breasts.
Dr Kosters said women should always "seek medical advice if they detect any change in their breasts that might be breast cancer".
However Maria Leadbeater, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, disagreed with the findings, saying: ""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.
"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."
Under current medical guidance from the Department of Health, women are advised to be "breast aware" by familiarising themselves with how they feel so they notice any changes.
But a review of research studies involving more than 380,000 women who regularly checked their breasts for lumps concluded that the practice had no effect on deaths from breast cancer.
It may even be detrimental as women who thought they found lumps underwent biopsies that turned out to be unnecessary.
Self examination led to twice as many biopsies that turned out to be negative for cancer than women who did not check their breasts.
"At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination (by a trained health worker) cannot be recommended," said study authors Jan Peter Kosters and Peter Gotzsche, from the Copenhagen-based Nordic Cochrane Centre.
However, they did not go as far as telling people to stop checking their breasts.
Dr Kosters said women should always "seek medical advice if they detect any change in their breasts that might be breast cancer".
However Maria Leadbeater, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, disagreed with the findings, saying: ""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.
"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."
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