Study Questions Self Breast Exams
Research Indicates Higher Incidence Of Benign Biopsies
POSTED: 12:01 pm EDT July 16,
2008
UPDATED: 2:16 pm EDT July 16,
2008
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BOSTON -- A controversial new study is catching the attention of women and doctors nationwide.
Video: Exams Questioned | Dr. Tim On Research The research indicates that women who perform self breast exams may be causing themselves more harm than good. The study does not recommend that women cease doing self exams, but it wants them to know the exams may not necessarily boost their chances of surviving breast cancer.Pat Zinke caught her own cancer when she noticed a lump in her breast while examining herself."I think it saved my life because the tumor I had was very aggressive. It was not there six weeks earlier," Zinke said.An international organization that reviewed past breast cancer studies, however, has concluded there is no breast cancer survival benefit for women who examine their own breasts."Actually, breast self exam in this study could hurt. They found that the women who religiously did breast self exams actually had more benign biopsies, unnecessary biopsies, without finding any more cancer," Susan Love, of the Susan Love Research Foundation, said.Researchers also pointed to studies that showed that five months after a benign surgical biopsy, 61 percent of women struggled with anxiety fueled by fears of breast cancer. Still, many doctors say it's always better to know."The only way you can know if there's a change in your breast is to know what your breasts usually feel like and look like," Dr. Marissa Weiss, of Breast Cancer.org, said.They argue that 35 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer discovered their own lump -- women like Zinke."I might not be sitting here today. I truly believe that," Zinke said.If you notice breast changes, it's best to notify your doctor.ABC News medical editor Dr. Timothy Johnson said it was a good study, but he has seen the pendulum swing back and forth in terms of self-exam recommendations. He said there's a middle ground to know your own breasts so you will be able to detect any changes should they occur.He said when a woman approaches age 20 or thereabouts, she should sit down with her primary physician and gynocologist and talk about what kind of exams she should have going forward."Bottom line is, women should know their breasts and they should feel free to touch their breasts in informal ways and do whatever it takes to become familiar with their breasts, but they don't have to follow a rigid technique to do it right," Johnson said.
Video: Exams Questioned | Dr. Tim On Research The research indicates that women who perform self breast exams may be causing themselves more harm than good. The study does not recommend that women cease doing self exams, but it wants them to know the exams may not necessarily boost their chances of surviving breast cancer.Pat Zinke caught her own cancer when she noticed a lump in her breast while examining herself."I think it saved my life because the tumor I had was very aggressive. It was not there six weeks earlier," Zinke said.An international organization that reviewed past breast cancer studies, however, has concluded there is no breast cancer survival benefit for women who examine their own breasts."Actually, breast self exam in this study could hurt. They found that the women who religiously did breast self exams actually had more benign biopsies, unnecessary biopsies, without finding any more cancer," Susan Love, of the Susan Love Research Foundation, said.Researchers also pointed to studies that showed that five months after a benign surgical biopsy, 61 percent of women struggled with anxiety fueled by fears of breast cancer. Still, many doctors say it's always better to know."The only way you can know if there's a change in your breast is to know what your breasts usually feel like and look like," Dr. Marissa Weiss, of Breast Cancer.org, said.They argue that 35 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer discovered their own lump -- women like Zinke."I might not be sitting here today. I truly believe that," Zinke said.If you notice breast changes, it's best to notify your doctor.ABC News medical editor Dr. Timothy Johnson said it was a good study, but he has seen the pendulum swing back and forth in terms of self-exam recommendations. He said there's a middle ground to know your own breasts so you will be able to detect any changes should they occur.He said when a woman approaches age 20 or thereabouts, she should sit down with her primary physician and gynocologist and talk about what kind of exams she should have going forward."Bottom line is, women should know their breasts and they should feel free to touch their breasts in informal ways and do whatever it takes to become familiar with their breasts, but they don't have to follow a rigid technique to do it right," Johnson said.Copyright 2009 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
