Comments on: Controversial Findings About Breast Self Exam Explained http://www.blisstree.com/articles/controversial-findings-about-breast-self-exam-explained-638/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:59:21 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Karen Lynch http://www.blisstree.com/articles/controversial-findings-about-breast-self-exam-explained-638/comment-page-1/#comment-143347 Karen Lynch Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:07:49 +0000 http://www.pinkribbonreview.com/2008/07/16/controversial-findings-about-breast-self-exam-explained/#comment-143347 Thank you to you both, Paul and Emily. (I share your passion, for sure!) I hope all the Pink Ribbon Readers will take your words to heart and continue to check their breasts for changes! Thank you to you both, Paul and Emily. (I share your passion, for sure!)

I hope all the Pink Ribbon Readers will take your words to heart and continue to check their breasts for changes!

]]> By: Emily M http://www.blisstree.com/articles/controversial-findings-about-breast-self-exam-explained-638/comment-page-1/#comment-143348 Emily M Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:10:55 +0000 http://www.pinkribbonreview.com/2008/07/16/controversial-findings-about-breast-self-exam-explained/#comment-143348 Paul, your apt point that it is more important to have general awareness of how your own breasts look and feel and any changes you notice is one that keeps being overlooked in this general conversation. BSEs have been suggested as one way in a regime of methods to help detect breast cancer. They have never been recommended as the only way. Ultimately, BSEs are a way to get familiar with your breasts and stay familiar with your breasts and that is something that must still be encouraged. The tone and language that people are using discredits the useful aspects of the exams. It also suggests to those women who have gotten in the habit of checking their breasts that they should stop. PLEASE DON'T! The science is saying that BSEs have caused increased biopsies but the approach that is being taken to disseminate this information is taking the breast health movement back to days when it was not encouraged to be breast aware. My passion here is exploding in this email but it is my fear that women will take this to mean that they shouldn't be regularly checking their breasts. Paul, your apt point that it is more important to have general awareness of how your own breasts look and feel and any changes you notice is one that keeps being overlooked in this general conversation.
BSEs have been suggested as one way in a regime of methods to help detect breast cancer. They have never been recommended as the only way. Ultimately, BSEs are a way to get familiar with your breasts and stay familiar with your breasts and that is something that must still be encouraged. The tone and language that people are using discredits the useful aspects of the exams. It also suggests to those women who have gotten in the habit of checking their breasts that they should stop. PLEASE DON’T!
The science is saying that BSEs have caused increased biopsies but the approach that is being taken to disseminate this information is taking the breast health movement back to days when it was not encouraged to be breast aware.
My passion here is exploding in this email but it is my fear that women will take this to mean that they shouldn’t be regularly checking their breasts.

]]> By: Paul http://www.blisstree.com/articles/controversial-findings-about-breast-self-exam-explained-638/comment-page-1/#comment-143352 Paul Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:44:05 +0000 http://www.pinkribbonreview.com/2008/07/16/controversial-findings-about-breast-self-exam-explained/#comment-143352 Hey Karen, I think I can confirm what you're asking. This new review looked at data from two major trials that took place a few years ago. The American Cancer Society reviewed this same data back in 2002 and - as a result - adjusted our guidelines for early detection in 2003. So in a sense this really isn't new information that would make us change anything at this point. We don't recommend against monthly breast self exam, however the evidence doesn't allow us to say BSE is something all women must do every 30 days. That's what we mean when we say it's an option. More important is general awareness of your own breasts look and feel and any changes you notice. You don't have to do BSE to accomplish that. Here's the link to a story we had on the local news here in Albany, NY last night on the review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPqw5FlWisA And here's a link to our page on how breast cancer is found from our website: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_3X_How_is_breast_cancer_found_5.asp?sitearea= Hope this helps. Paul Hey Karen,

I think I can confirm what you’re asking. This new review looked at data from two major trials that took place a few years ago. The American Cancer Society reviewed this same data back in 2002 and – as a result – adjusted our guidelines for early detection in 2003. So in a sense this really isn’t new information that would make us change anything at this point.

We don’t recommend against monthly breast self exam, however the evidence doesn’t allow us to say BSE is something all women must do every 30 days. That’s what we mean when we say it’s an option. More important is general awareness of your own breasts look and feel and any changes you notice. You don’t have to do BSE to accomplish that.

Here’s the link to a story we had on the local news here in Albany, NY last night on the review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPqw5FlWisA

And here’s a link to our page on how breast cancer is found from our website:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_3X_How_is_breast_cancer_found_5.asp?sitearea=

Hope this helps.

Paul

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