October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and many well-meaning people – including some healthcare professionals, and charities such as Breast Cancer Now – have been sharing posts about the importance of breast self-examination. Unfortunately, the reality is rather more nuanced than most people realise. Research evidence suggests that breast self-examination does NOT result in fewer women dying from breast cancer, and it can do more harm than good; women who self-examine their breasts are more likely to undergo a biopsy of their breast, but this does NOT translate into a reduction in rates of death due to breast cancer.
For that reason, at Formby GP we do not recommend routine breast self-examination for healthy women with no symptoms. Instead, we would recommend keeping an eye out for any changes (such as a lump in the breast; skin changes; or nipple discharge) and consulting a GP if you notice any of these symptoms. If you have new breast symptoms and are over 30, your GP will almost always do an urgent referral to breast clinic so that breast cancer can be ruled out. (If you are under 30, you may well need referral too, but in some circumstances your doctor will watch and wait first.)
If you’d like to read more about why the evidence base does not support routine breast self-examination, the Cochrane Review is available online here.