Results of mass screening for breast cancer in 50,000 examinations

✍ Scribed by Philip Strax

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1976
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 487 KB
• Volume: 37
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(197601)37:1<30::aid-cncr2820370105>3.0.co;2-v

✦ Synopsis

Detection of earlier breast cancer, especially in its preclinical stage, offers the only method available today for reducing mortality from this disease. T h e Health Insurance Plan study, conducted since 1963 under contract with the National Institutes of Health, has achieved a one-third reduction in death rate in a study group compared to a matched control which has persisted in 7 years of follow-up. T h e Guttman Institute, founded in 1968 to develop practical methods for large scale screening, is operating a tandem apliroach using interview, clinical examination, improved mammography, and thermography for greatest yield. Emphasis is placed on motivation to accept the examination, teaching and encouragement of breast self-examination, anti emphasis on periodic reexaminations. At the present time, almost 300 women receive this complete examination per day at the Institute's fixed facility. Periodic examination leads to marked increase in number o f cancers detected free of axillary nodal involvement. T h e tandem approach eml'hasizes substantial percentage of cancers detected o n only one modality, two-thirds of which are without nodal involvement. Breast self-examination is necessary to detect "interval" cancers in more localized stage.