[Results of a survey of experts regarding early diagnosis of breast cancer].

An anonymous expert inquiry was carried out during the First Annual Meeting of the Austrian Society for Senology in Vienna in December 1984. To 230 participants - all of them experts in the fields of gynaecology, surgery, radiology and internal medicine - a semi-structurised inquiry form was handed out, questioning for actual problems of routine screening mammography and efficacy of breast self-examination. Only 27 persons (12%) returned the completely filled out inquiry form, 14 experts (52%) advocated a mass-screening with the legal health examinations, most of them from the 30th year of age on in intervals of two years, 17 doctors (63%) agreed with the screening of well defined risk groups with individually determined screening intervals, most of them also from the 30th year of age on. 17 colleagues (63%) rather preferred a screening consisting of basis-mammography with individualised, according to age and personal risk factors adjusted screening intervals, again mostly from the 30th year of age on. Thus our study suggests no particular expert preference of a certain screening modality. 22 experts (81%) believe that breast self-examination from the 20th year of age on is of value, half of them recommending monthly controls. These doctors also believe that one should inform women about this early detection method through directed campaigns in the mass media. A representative inquiry among 1,000 Austrian women, carried out from the fund "Kampf dem Krebs" during summer 1986, showed that, although 70% are informed about the possibility and importance of early detection of breast cancer as well as of the method of breast self-examination, only about 14% perform it indeed regularly.