Compliance with breast self-examination instruction in healthy adolescents

Compliance with breast self-examination was prospectively assessed in three groups of healthy outpatient adolescents 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after instruction. Although 87%, 59%, and 71% of the three respective groups reported sporadic practice of breast self-examination, only 39%, 9%, and 18%, respectively, performed the procedure timed correctly with the menstrual cycle. Those adolescents tested at 6 weeks demonstrated a high degree of proficiency in replicating the procedure on a silicone model. There was no significant difference between demographic variables or personal health beliefs regarding breast cancer and breast self-examination compliance. Our findings suggest that adolescents can effectively perform breast self-examination, but their practice is erratic. Thus, we recommend that when instruction in breast self-examination is given, the examination schedule should be reinformed at a follow-up visit.