[The organization of breast self-examination among women in the Estonian SSR].

Patients with breast cancer and healthy females (150 in each group) aged 40-64 years were examined to assess the extent of breast self-examination development in Estonia. Breast cancer was detected by self-examination in 82.0% of cases. The occurrence of stage I tumors detected by the physician was comparable to that in the self-examination group. Breast self-examination was practised by 69.3% of healthy females and 42.7% of patients. Most of them had read about the method in the literature. Early detection of breast cancer can be assured provided breast self-examination is performed regularly.