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Pre Check app

A New Zealand app for women wanting to do breast self-checks to look for skin changes or lumps.

Pre Check	By Breast Cancer Foundation NZ
	Features Interactive screen Education and information Reminders Get the app from (external link) (external link) (external link)
Country of origin	New Zealand
Clinical review	Read a clinical review of this app.
Security and privacy	Does the app: collect medical information? No require a login? No have password protection? No have a privacy policy? Yes require internet access? No Read more safety tips around health apps
Cost	Free
Advertisement	This app contains no ads.

What does the app do?

Pre Check app is an interactive breast model that shows some of the breast changes associated with breast cancer. The home screen resembles a breast and by touching the interactive screen, users can learn the 9 signs of breast cancer. For example, puckering, skin like orange peel, lumps, etc. The Ready to self-check screen is a guide on how to check your breasts, with detailed instructions on how to do the touch, look and check method. Users have the option of setting a self-check reminder which will send a push-notification to your phone.

For the complete app description, go to the app website(external link), App Store(external link), Google Play(external link) or for a more detailed review, see Reviews.

PROS	CONS
✔ Interactive breast model with 9 abnormal findings. The phone vibrates when you touch an abnormal area. ✔ Information available regarding common signs of breast cancer.	✘ The app doesn’t help women make an informed choice about whether to self-screen/self-examine, with no education about the risks and the evidence arguing against the practice.¹ ✘ The guidelines have shifted to “breast-awareness” over regular breast examination. There is no mention of breast-awareness and the differences in these approaches. Breast-awareness basically signifies being sensibly alert to what is normal for you and know what changes to look for.² ✘ There are several omissions in the breast self-examination instructions: No instruction is given about how to examine systematically (normally in a circular or linear fashion). Instead it just says “circular motions”. There is no axillary tail in the breast model in the app (sometimes breast tissue extends into the armpit. This is called the axillary tail of the breast). No instruction on hand movements with palpation (normally finger pads of 3 middle fingers). No instruction on how exactly to inspect visually first. It just says “look”. No instruction on feeling for lymph nodes.

PROS

CONS

✔ Interactive breast model with 9 abnormal findings. The phone vibrates when you touch an abnormal area.

✔ Information available regarding common signs of breast cancer.

✘ The app doesn’t help women make an informed choice about whether to self-screen/self-examine, with no education about the risks and the evidence arguing against the practice.¹

✘ The guidelines have shifted to “breast-awareness” over regular breast examination. There is no mention of breast-awareness and the differences in these approaches. Breast-awareness basically signifies being sensibly alert to what is normal for you and know what changes to look for.²

✘ There are several omissions in the breast self-examination instructions:

No instruction is given about how to examine systematically (normally in a circular or linear fashion). Instead it just says “circular motions”.
There is no axillary tail in the breast model in the app (sometimes breast tissue extends into the armpit. This is called the axillary tail of the breast).
No instruction on hand movements with palpation (normally finger pads of 3 middle fingers).
No instruction on how exactly to inspect visually first. It just says “look”.
No instruction on feeling for lymph nodes.

Review details

Date of review: 25 September 2023
Platform reviewed: Apple
Version: 1.3.0

Resources

Information on breast awareness(external link) National Screening Unit, NZ, 2013
Breast awareness – what you need to know(external link) Breast Cancer Foundation, NZ, 2019
Risk factors for breast cancer(external link) Breast Cancer Foundation, NZ
Risk reduction and healthy lifestyle choices(external link) Breast Cancer Foundation, NZ

References

Regular self-examination or clinical examination for early detection of breast cancer.(external link) Cochrane (accessed 12 October 2019).
Thornton H. “Breast awareness” and “breast self-examination” are not the same. What do these terms mean? Why are they confused? What can we do?(external link) Eur J Cancer. 2008 Oct;44(15):2118-21.

App developer: If you are the developer and would like to provide updated information about this app, please email the app library manager at hello@healthify.nz

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