Breast self-examination: clinical results from a population-based prospective study.

As part of the Department of Health's National Breast Screening Trial a seven year study is in progress in Huddersfield to assess the effect of an educational programme in Breast Self Examination (BSE) on the mortality due to breast cancer among women aged 45-64. The initial cohort of 22,484 women have completed 3 years in the study and show a higher than expected annual incidence rate of breast cancer. There is no significant difference in the incidence rates between those who attended meetings for BSE instruction and those who did not. Similarly there is no difference in stages of presentation of cancers between attenders and non-attenders at these meetings and also between cancers detected in the first, second and third years. Those who discovered abnormalities during self examination, however, presented with smaller lumps compared to other women. Assessment of prognostic factors do not at this time provide sufficient evidence to show that a community-base BSE campaign will result in a significant improvement in the stage of breast cancer presentation.