Discovery of the first signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

A sample of 139 post-mastectomy patients was interviewed to determine how the first sign or symptom of breast cancer was identified. Eighty percent of the time the first clue was noted by the patient herself; 19 percent of the first signs were picked up by health professionals, only 1 percent of the first clues were identified by lovers. An unexpected finding was that pain was the first symptom noted by 13 percent of the women. Implications for health teaching to improved early detection are discussed.