[Is systematic clinical breast examination in women still indicated?].
Screening for breast cancer is not generalized in France. In order to evaluate any change in clinical practice, we reviewed three cohorts of one hundred successive breast cancers diagnosed in a geographical area without a breast screening campaign, starting in 1978, 1999 and 1996. The proportion of T1 (UICC) shifted from 32% to 50% and the rate of positive nodes among these T1 patients from 63% to 26% from the 1978 cohort to the 1996 cohort. There was an unchanged proportion (20%) of T4 patients in all three cohorts. Conservative treatment improved from 32% to 78% (p > 0.001). Systematic clinical breast examination should be strongly encouraged to lower the high proportion of T4 patients.
Salvat
J
J
Service de Gynécologie-Obstétrique, Hôpitaux du Léman, Thonon.
Vincent-Genod
A
A
Gallet
G
G
Martino
A
A
Lutz
J M
JM
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010173:Palpation; D010808:Physical Examination; D012189:Retrospective Studies