The size of breast masses at presentation. The impact of prior medical training.

Five hundred and sixty-nine patients with breast cancer presenting for treatment at a community hospital were studied. The results showed no significant change in tumor size at presentation or reported patient delay over a 12-year span. This was in spite of considerable national discussion and increasing public concern about this disease during this period. We compared this patient group with a group of 27 cancer patients with training in health professional fields: seven of these 27 women reported delays of more than six months between discovery of a mass and reporting to a physician. Their masses were somewhat larger than those of women not medically trained (3.82 versus 3.47 cm). These results suggest a need for re-evaluation of the impact of medical education on an individual's reaction to personal health care.