title: [The Breast Program--25-year role of the health service].
abstract: In screening for breast cancer, the discovery of screening positive cases can be carried out either with screening mammographic examination, with breast physical examination, or with breast self-examination. The screening positive cases should be examined with diagnostic mammographic examination. In BSE-screening, one-way communication about BSE does not influence health behaviour like e.g. monthly BSE-performance, followed by self-referral to a physician if breasts change from normal. Aimed at behavioural change, two-way communication strategies are needed in comprehensive program designs. The finnish Mama Program Screening is based on delivery of the message with two-way communication and the use of specially designed Mama-calenders for follow-up of the health behaviour of the participants during the continuous program. In a cohort, exposed to the Mama Program, compliance with BSE increased from 2% to 55% monthly performance. Two percent self-referred to the diagnostic mammographic examinations arranged within public health care facilities. In a 14 years follow-up of the complying women, 20% more breast cancers were detected than expected and mortality from breast cancer was 29% less than expected in all age groups. The Mama Program Screening has been implemented in public health care in Finland on a voluntary basis as an easy and inexpensive basic screening for women in all ages. It can be implemented in different PHC and private health care systems.
authors.affiliation: ProMama rf, Vanda.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gästrin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011379:Prognosis; D015397:Program Evaluation