Are breast exams and mammograms necessary after menopause?
Studies show that women who perform regular breast self-exams find the vast majority of breast masses. If you feel reluctant to practice regular self-exam for any reason, however, you’re not alone. Women can avoid breast exams for lots of reasons — sometimes because of deep-seated emotions or beliefs. When we reach menopause, women may feel annoyed or inconvenienced, as though it’s an unnecessary or distasteful procedure, and avoid examining their breasts. I counsel women to know their breasts as well as possible — though I don’t insist, because some feel less comfortable touching their breasts, and recent studies show that while breast self-exams may find more lumps, they don’t affect cancer incidence or mortality in women whose lumps are cancerous. That said, if you don’t do a breast exam, someone should, so a visit to your practitioner at least annually for an exam is a good idea. If you do the exam yourself, each examination will teach you more about the natural design of your brea
