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The Clinical Breast Exam: A Skill that Should Not Be Abandoned

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ABSTRACT

The clinical breast exam (CBE) is an important tool in the care of women. However, the utility of the screening CBE has been called into question. This article discusses the importance of the CBE as a physical diagnosis tool. Recommendations regarding screening with CBE are reviewed, and evidence surrounding breast cancer screening using CBE is briefly summarized. Clinicians should strive to provide high quality CBEs as part of the general clinical exam for women, particularly those who present with breast complaints, and for patients who choose to have CBE screening. In conclusion, there is a role for the CBE in the care of women, and clinicians should be proficient at performing these exams. Simulation teaching technologies are now available at Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) facilities to enable clinicians to improve their CBE skills.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors are not affiliated with any CBE simulation products. They have no acknowledgement or funding sources to disclose. The authors declare that they do not have a conflict of interest.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Veterans Health Administration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Internal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, FOT 720 1720 2nd Ave South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-3407, USA

    Teresa Bryan MD & Erin Snyder MD

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  1. Teresa Bryan MD
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  2. Erin Snyder MD
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Correspondence to Teresa Bryan MD.

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Bryan, T., Snyder, E. The Clinical Breast Exam: A Skill that Should Not Be Abandoned. J GEN INTERN MED 28, 719–722 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2373-9

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