title: Self-detection and clinical breast examination: comparison of the two "classical" physical examination methods for the diagnosis of breast cancer.
abstract: This is the first comprehensive analysis comparing specific aspects of tumor detection between the two "traditional" breast cancer detection methods self-detection (SD) and clinical breast examination (CBE). a) Which method is better in detecting smaller tumors? Both methods showed similar mean tumor diameters (SD: 22.1 mm vs. CBE: 21.9 mm; p = 0.991). b) Different frequency distributions of tumor locations would indicate that certain locations in the breast are more difficult to palpate: comparison of both methods showed comparable results (p = 0.835). c) General differences in tumor sizes with regard to certain locations would be of importance because the patients and/or the physicians could be educated to pay particular attention to certain locations during physical examination, where larger tumors tend to be found: tumors located in the central region were with 25.0 mm significantly larger than those in the peripheral regions of the breast (superior: 21.6 mm, p = 0.001; inferior: 21.6 mm, p = 0.015; lateral: 21.9 mm, p = 0.002; medial (20.9 mm, p = 0.001). Tumor sizes within the four peripheral regions did not differ significantly. d) Patients whose tumors were found by CBE were older than those whose tumors were found by SD (67 years vs. 60 years, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  annual CBE should be an integral part of general medical care in older women.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Basel (UHB), Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Spitalstrasse 21, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fabienne Dominique
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Basel (UHB), Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Spitalstrasse 21, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dorothy Jane
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Spital Grabs, Department of Gynecology & Obsterics, Spitalstrasse 44, CH-9472 Grabs, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Seraina Margaretha
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Eudox Institute for Biomathematics, Malzgasse 9, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schötzau
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Basel (UHB), Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Spitalstrasse 21, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland; Cantonal Hospital Winterthur, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Brauerstrasse 15, CH-8401 Winterthur, Switzerland. Electronic address: uwe.gueth@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Güth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Breast cancer; Breast self-examination; Clinical breast examination; Tumor detection; Tumor size