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Biomedical subjects

G Gästrin

Publications and source records attributed to G Gästrin.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

[The Breast Program--25-year role of the health service].

In screening for breast cancer, the discovery of screening positive cases can be carried out either with screening mammographic examination, with breast physical examination, or with breast self-examination. The screening positive cases should be examined with diagnostic mammographic examination. In BSE-screening, one-way communication about BSE does not influence health behaviour like e.g. monthly BSE-performance, followed by self-referral to a physician if breasts change from normal. Aimed at behavioural change, two-way communication strategies are needed in comprehensive program designs. The finnish Mama Program Screening is based on delivery of the message with two-way communication and the use of specially designed Mama-calenders for follow-up of the health behaviour of the participants during the continuous program. In a cohort, exposed to the Mama Program, compliance with BSE increased from 2% to 55% monthly performance. Two percent self-referred to the diagnostic mammographic examinations arranged within public health care facilities. In a 14 years follow-up of the complying women, 20% more breast cancers were detected than expected and mortality from breast cancer was 29% less than expected in all age groups. The Mama Program Screening has been implemented in public health care in Finland on a voluntary basis as an easy and inexpensive basic screening for women in all ages. It can be implemented in different PHC and private health care systems.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Preliminary results of primary screening for breast cancer with the Mama Program.

In 1972 a comprehensive BSE screening strategy for the early detection of breast cancer, the "Mama Program Screening" (MPS), was developed in Finland by the author on the initiative of women's organizations. The program consists of a) initial information about the facilities of the program and BSE-performance, b) prospective surveillance of the BSE-behaviour of complying women, who use a specially designed Mama calendar for regular notes on their BSE behaviour and c) a pre-organized system for women with self-identified anomalies in the breasts to self-refer to physicians in public health care. From 1973 to 1975 an MPS project was carried out in Finland with 56,000 exposed women. Compliance to BSE-performance of once a month increased from 2% prior to the enrollment to 55%, and resulted in 2% of self-referrers. In the compliers, mortality from breast cancer was reduced overall by 29%, the screening being effective in all age groups, also in those under 50 years. The MPS was easy and inexpensive to implement in existing public health care systems with the information material developed for the study and with physicians in PHC facilities.

Adult↗