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Screening for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, and there are several possible methods for screening.
If facilities are available, screening by mammography alone, with or without physical examination of the breasts, plus follow-up of individuals with positive or suspicious findings, will reduce mortality from breast cancer by up to one-third among women aged 50–69 years (IARC, In press).
Much of the benefit is obtained by screening once every 2–3 years. There is limited evidence for its effectiveness for women 40–49 years of age. The Health Insurance Plan (HIP) study, which used physical examinations by surgeons, suggested benefits in younger women only after they had reached their fifties (Shapiro, 1997). A cohort study in Finland suggested breast self-examination to be of benefit at all ages (Gastrin et al., 1994), as did a case-control study in Canada (Harvey et al., 1997).
However, observational studies of these latter types cannot exclude selection bias and may overestimate benefit. A randomized trial of breast self-examination in China has not found any evidence of reduction in breast cancer mortality after long-term follow-up (IARC, In press). This suggests that a programme to encourage breast self-examination alone would not reduce mortality from breast cancer. Women should, however, be encouraged to seek medical advice immediately if they detect any change in a breast that suggests breast cancer. (...)

in WHO

Informação gentilmente fornecida por Joana Alves, a médica de família to be, que claramente serve para qualquer família que não a sua...

(Se ao menos certos anormais por aí soubessem pedir exames atempadamente e não quando são encostados à parede por uma interna...P#$" que o pariu!!)