Using both a clinical exam which is a manual exam of the breasts done by a medical professional together with a mammogram is better at detecting breast cancer than a mammogram alone. Still, clinical exams produce more false positives. A false positive is an abnormality that looks like a cancer, but turns out to be normal.

Mammogram for detecting Breast Cancer

Monthly breast self-exam (BSE) and regular clinical breast exam were considered important parts of an overall breast cancer screening plan for all women for many years. A suspicious area found by BSE or a clinical exam allowed many breast cancers to be diagnosed and successfully treated. BSE, along with regular exams by a doctor and an annual mammogram starting at age 40 can help make sure that breast cancer is diagnosed early, when it’s most treatable.

BSE for breast cancer detection

Still screening tests aren’t perfect. BSE, clinical exams and mammograms can each result in false positives. Besides the fear of a breast cancer diagnosis, a false positive usually means more tests (including biopsies) and follow-up doctor visits. The process can be very stressful and upsetting.

Some doctors started questioning the usefulness of BSE and clinical exams in screening plans after some research showed that regular BSE and clinical exams didn’t reduce the number of women who die from breast cancer.

clinical exam for breast cancer detection

From a public health perspective, this research suggests that regular BSE and money spent to promote regular BSE doesn’t really change the overall effect breast cancer has on a population of women. So regularly recommending it and spending money to promote it may not make sense. These concerns caused the American Cancer Society (ACS) to change its BSE guidelines several years ago. The ACS now views BSE as an optional not a recommended screening technique. Regular clinical examination of the breast is still recommended by the ACS.

Healthcare decisions, including BSE and clinical examinations are individual choices based on the information available and each person’s unique situation. A woman can choose to make doing monthly BSE and having regular breast clinical exams part of her personal breast health monitoring and screening plan. In many cases, official recommendations and guidelines can affect whether or not insurance companies cover a screening technique or procedure. But at least for BSE this isn’t true, as BSE costs only your time and commitment.

Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of regular BSE and clinical exams and whether these should be part of your personal breast cancer screening plan. Together you can make choices that make the most sense for you. No matter what you and your doctor decide about BSE and breast clinical exams, it’s very important to remember that if you’re over 40 regular screening mammograms must be done.

Tags: Breast, Breast Cancer, breast self exam, cancer treatment, detecting breast cancer, diagnosis, diagnosis of breast cancer, Health, lung cancer symptoms, Mammogram, Signs of Breast Cancer