Q: Which doctor should I visit to get a clinical breast examination done?
A: You should visit your general physician or gynecologist for a clinical breast examination. If there is any abnormality detected, you may be referred to a general surgeon/cancer surgeon for further workup and treatment.
Q: Which is better – breast self-examination or clinical breast examination?
A: Current evidence does not indicate that breast self examination reduces the number of deaths due to breast cancer. Clinical breast examination has a sensitivity i.e. ability to detect breast cancer of 40% to 69%, whereas the sensitivity for breast self examination ranges from 12% to 41%, which is much lower. Thus clinical breast examination is better, though breast self examination can be done in the comfort of one’s home.
Q: Which is the best screening test for breast cancer?
A: Mammogram done between the ages of 50 and 79 years of age has been shown to reduce deaths caused due to breast cancer. If mammography is done as recommended, clinical breast examinations may not show any additional benefit in diagnosing breast cancer. However, in places like India where mammography is not feasible or widely available, clinical breast examination continues to play an important role in the detection of breast cancer. A complete clinical breast examination with the health care professional spending adequate time in examination helps in screening for breast cancer in these situations. It is also useful in younger women, in whom mammography may not be of much use.
