According to Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research, self examination of the breasts is not recommended, and may do more harm than good.

 The authors in Tuesday’s issue of The Cochrane Library say, “Data from two large trials do not suggest a beneficial effect of screening by (BSE) but do suggest harm in terms of increased numbers of benign lesions identified and an increased number of biopsies performed. At present, screening by breast self-examination … cannot be recommended.”

The study focuses on findings from a 2003 study of Russian women and a 2002 study on Chinese women. “It’s important to separate out the public health implications from the implications for an individual woman,” says Dr. David B. Thomas, breast cancer epidemiologist at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington. He is also the author of the 2002 landmark study involving more than 250,000 Chinese women studied on similar lines.

“If a woman is highly motivated — let’s say her mother or sister has been diagnosed with breast cancer — then of course she should practice breast self-exam. But that’s a different situation than trying to reach women on a mass scale. Our study shows that that’s probably a waste of time. You’re not going to get women sufficiently motivated to practice it well enough and frequently enough to make that big of a difference.”

Cindy Geoghegan, executive advisor for scientific community relations at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation says, “What this research does is [say] breast self exam by itself doesn’t increase survival and it never did. But as part of a comprehensive plan for women for early detection” that includes maintaining a healthy lifestyle and knowing your medical history, “we’re not going to say don’t do it.”

While the study finds no benefits from breast self examinations, they are not indicating that these should not be performed. The authors say, “that the lack of supporting evidence from the two major studies should be discussed with these women to enable them to make an informed decision.”