A new study suggests that breast self-examinations may not be best way to find breast cancer early, despite what women have been told for years.

Researcher Dr. Susan Love said self-exams don’t reduce breast cancer deaths and may cause anxiety and harm by requiring additional biopsies.

Research: Self Breast Exams Might Be Harmful

“What it’s saying is the extra things these women who were doing intensive breast self-exams found just caused them to have unnecessary surgery without changing the outcome at all,” Love said.

For decades, self-exams have been touted as the key for early detection of cancer. The five-step process is still recommended by many doctors. But the study found that women don’t need a formal breast exam to detect changes in their bodies.

Breast cancer survivor Pat Zinke credits her self-exam with finding her cancer early. “I think it saved my life because the lump was very aggressive,” she said. “It was not there six weeks earlier.”

“I think the normal routine for breast health is to be aware of your body,” said Love. “That does not take a search-and-destroy mission every month, but it means being aware of your breasts at different times of the month and being aware of any changes.”

A doctor at Mercy Hospital told KOCO that it’s hard to dismiss the importance of self-exams, but he’d ideally like to discover all breast cancers before they can be felt.

He recommended all women in high risk groups get MRI tests every year, starting at age 30. He said all women over 40 should be getting annual mammograms.