Detection of breast cancer: Implications for Latin América and the Caribbean

The recommendation of the Health Promotion Program of the Pan Américan Health Organization is that in Latina América "self-examination should be initiated before de age of 35,"and thus the efforts should be directed toward education. In general, physicians and nurses must be well trained to carry out a good physical examination of the breast each time that the woman visits a clinic. And the task of educating women about self-examinations should be a routine part of programs in institutions of health, education, and the workplace, etc. Mammography, given its high cost in our Region, should not be utilized in mass programs, but rather should be reserved as a procedure to follow-up high-risk women, or for those with suspected pathology