Most Doctors' Breast Exams Fail Test

[tousled1]

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- December 14, 2007 -- A large majority of women report that their doctors fail to perform adequate breast exams, according to an Internet-based survey reported here.

To read full article:
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF6852573B10068CDC3?OpenDocument&id=48dde4a73e09a969852568880078c249&c=Breast%20Cancer&count=10

[Chelee]

That's almost funny. I went to the website they mentioned to actually watch the 2 minute exam. I had to chuckle. I only laugh because out of all the breast exams I've had in my life NOT a one of them was anything remotely like that. Even when I found my own mass and went to the GYN to check it out. He was SUPPOSE to do a breast exam on BOTH breast...NOT just the one I found the mass in.

So he has me lay back with my arms over my head and he asks me where the mass is and I show him. Then he takes his two fingers and barely touches it really QUICK & says "Yep, It feels like its malignant" & turns to walk away to his clip board to write down his notes. (Then he was done UNTIL I said aren't you going to check my other breast?) I couldn't believe it...talk about being in a hurry! Then he pretends to finish my SO CALLED breast exam by touching them both in about 4 places & says he's done. HA! He wouldn't of known if I had more masses if his life depended on it. It was really ridiculous. I wanted him to check them out since I had the one mass I found myself...but he just sent me on my way. I find this article to be SO TRUE unfortunetly. I hope so serious changes are made.

Chelee

[RhondaH]

AND one thing my former "Herceptin" partner and I talked about is that he closes his eyes when doing our breast exams. I never stopped to think about it until she mentioned it, but when you take away your sense of sight, your sense of touch becomes even MORE sensitive therefore you can feel more "imperfections". Incidentally, my mass wasn't found to the touch AND my surgeon had to find it by ultrasound and mark it prior to my surgery.

Rhonda

[janet/FL]

Chelee,
My doctor was much more through. When called back because of a question on my mammo, he actually poked both breasts with one finger--FIVE times! And pronounced me as fine! Don't know what he thought he was doing. I helped get him fired by my complaints.

My medical oncologist is not very good though I said I valued a good breast exam when he first took over the practice. He was young and read up on it. He quickly forgot what he read. My surgical and radiation and gyn oncologist all give good exams, that heavens!