Breast cancer detection today: an opinion.

The family physician, more than most other physicians, is faced with rapidly increasing demands for breast cancer screening. The old standby, physical examination, is now accompanied by mammography, xeromammography, and, more recently, thermography. In this paper, we present our opinion, based on the collective experience at the Mayo Clinic, regarding the use and effectiveness of the several modalities, including mammography, xeromammography, and thermography, available for detection of breast cancer today.