I have not done regular breast self-exams, and went over a decade without a mammogram. (I did just get one in this past year because I have a large lump in the breast area, but it isn’t cancer.)

I have finally found a doctor who supports my intuition, and I quote this article here (from Nexus: Colorado’s Holistic Journal, September / October 2007 issue, pg 12, “The Zen of Science: Testing! Testing!” by Marc Ringel, MD):

“… for the routine breast self-exam. Once again, it would seem that finding a lump within a month of its being detectable by feel ought to improve the chances of cure. I spent the first three decades of my medical career reminding women to examine themselves when each period came (or, if they didn’t menstruate regularly, with the arrival of each phone bill). But outcome studies of this ever-so-logical procedure have proved me wrong. Women who do self-breast exams find more lumps, have more biopsies and more fears, but don’t live any longer than women who don’t examine themselves monthly.”

I want to track down this research, and I will follow-up with this writer and let you know of the research details. But, intuitively, I think here are a few reasons reasons for this outcome:
* some cancers will go away, resolves themselves, without any intervention.
* people die from the medical/hospital system, through “iatrogenic disease” (doctor-induced disease), meaning through infections caught at the hospital, from the anesthesia used for surgeries, etc.

This opinion is NOT politically correct these days, I know. The pink ribbons and the breast cancer lobby have done a good job at stemming the discussion. I would like to see more of it.

But again, I really appreciate your blog, and your concern for health. What you are doing is very, very important. Thank you!