Over 180,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and for over 40,000 of them, the disease will prove fatal. Breast self-exams (BSE) have been promoted for years as a method to detect breast cancer in its early stages, and eventually lower breast cancer mortality rate. But how effective is it in reality?

Every woman should be aware of what is going on with her body, and breast awareness may have saved lives in some cases, but according to a study recently published in The Cochrane Library, the possible benefits and harms of breast-self examination remain uncertain.

The study examined 388,535 women from Russia and Shanghai, comparing breast self-examination with no intervention. The data obtained from these trials found no beneficial effect of screening, in terms of lowering breast cancer mortality. Furthermore, women using breast self-examination were twice as likely to undergo a biopsy of the breast.

Furthermore, the authors of the study concluded that “at present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination cannot be recommended,” as statistics have suggested increased harm in terms of larger numbers of benign lesions identified and biopsies performed. However, the review also believes women should be encouraged to seek medical advice if they find any change in their breasts.

The contradictory opinions that emerge from this study and the opinions of several medical entities and breast cancer organizations will most likely get women confused: what is the usefulness of performing self examinations?

According to the American Cancer Society, women should be told about the benefits and limitations of BSE beginning in their early 20s. Breast awareness does not substitute the mammography, but it may contribute to the early detection of some types of breast cancer, specialists say.

Monthly screening is no longer among the recommendations of the American Cancer Society. Instead, “it is acceptable for women to choose not to do BSE or to do BSE occasionally.” Changes found in the breast don’t necessarily indicate cancer, but women should contact health professionals as soon as they are discovered.

The limitations of BSE have been observed by multiple studies showing no reduction in breast cancer mortality. However, these studies suggest that breast self-examination shouldn’t be encouraged as the sole, safest method to reduce mortality from breast cancer, but rather as an optional method that should be used in combination with expertise tests (mammography).

In the United States, the chance of a woman having breast cancer is about one in eight, while the chance of dying from breast cancer is about one in 35, according to the American Cancer Society's official figures. However, in the past years, breast cancer mortality rates have considerably decreased, not only as a result of improved treatments, but also as a result of detecting the cancer in its early stages.

Unfortunately, not all women in the United States benefit from early diagnosis. Studies have indicated that black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, due to poor access to screening or adequate medical techniques.

According to the American Cancer Association, women living in North America have the highest rate of breast cancer, which is the most common type of cancer and the second cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.