According to a meta-analysis in the Cochrane Collaboration, two large trials in Russia and Shanghai found no beneficial effects of screening by<unk>  "but do suggest increased harm in terms of increased numbers of benign lesions identified and an increased number of biopsies performed". They concluded, "At present, screening by<unk>  or physical<unk>  cannot be recommended." Although<unk>  increases the number of biopsies performed on women, it does not reduce mortality from breast cancer. In a large clinical trial involving more than 260,000 female Chinese factory workers, half were carefully taught by nurses at their factories to perform monthly breast<unk> -exam, and the other half were not. The women taught<unk> -exam detected more benign (normal or harmless lumps) or early-stage breast disease, but equal numbers of women died from breast cancer in each group. Because breast<unk> -exam is not proven to save lives, it is no longer routinely recommended by health authorities for general use. It may be appropriate in women who have a particularly high risk of developing breast cancer. Some charitable organizations still promote<unk>  as a universal screening approach, even in the low-risk women who are most likely to be harmed by unnecessary follow-up procedures. Writer Gayle A. Sulik, in her book Pink Ribbon Blues, suggests that these charities are motivated by their donations depending on fear of breast cancer. Among groups promoting evidence-based medicine, awareness of breast health and familiarity with one's own body is typically promoted instead of<unk> -exams.<unk> s are based on the assumption that cancer develops by steady growth of the tumor. According to breast cancer specialist and surgeon Susan Love, "Breast cancer doesn't work like that...it's sneaky. You could examine yourself every day and suddenly find a walnut." Among women with high-risk BRCA mutations, about 10% said that performing<unk>  increased their anxiety. Half of those who did perform<unk>  felt that it gave them a sense of control. Learning<unk>  increases a woman's level of depression, worrying, and anxiety about breast cancer. Greater anxiety about breast cancer is associated with a higher likelihood of performing<unk> . Women are also more likely to perform<unk>  if they have experienced a false positive error from screening mammography (being wrongly told that breast cancer may be present, when the woman is actually cancer-free).
Breast self-examination
Breast imaging
Breast MRI
Breast ultrasound
Breast biopsy
Breast duct endoscopy
Breast surgery
Xeromammography