Breast examination of older women in a teaching hospital

INTRODUCTION: Breast examination during routine physical examination may help detect breast cancer and effect early treatment. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether doctors routinely perform breast examination in older women, and to assess attitudes of patients and doctors to this examination. METHODS: A questionnaire based survey of 150 women over 65 years attending a teaching hospital, and 51 doctors working in this hospital. RESULTS: Very few women had a breast examination performed by a doctor. All thought breast examination was important, and would give consent for this examination. Although the great majority of doctors thought breast examination should be done routinely only very few do so. CONCLUSION: Older women have a positive attitude towards breast examination, but this is not reflected by the practice of doctors. There is a need for change in attitudes and training among doctors so that breast examination would be performed routinely.