Toward an Effective Technology of Instruction in Breast Self-examination

aged 40 to 44 and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women aged 25 to 74. It is estimated that 1 of every 11 American women will develop breast cancer at some time during her life, about 107,000 new cases being diagnosed in 1980 alone [ 1, 2] . In addition to a profound reduction in life expectancy, victims of breast cancer must also face the prospect of expensive, disfiguring, and often partially disabling surgery. The aggregate cost of breast cancer to our society, in terms of both morbidity and mortality, is impossible to estimate; but any significant reduction in its toll with respect to either of these factors would constitute a major contribution to women's health.