Introduction: Breast cancer incidence is increasing globally, with higher mortality in low-income countries due to late-stage presentation. Early detection remains critical. Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) is the most feasible screening method in resource-limited settings. Hence, this study evaluates the performance of an innovative Breast Care Glove assisted CBE compared with conventional CBE by healthcare workers.

Objective: Concurrent evaluation of Breast Care Glove (BCG) assisted CBE with that of CBE performed by Trained Primary Health Worker to establish performance characteristics, with Mammography as reference standard.

Methodology: Prospective Cross-sectional study was conducted in the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (HBCHRC) Chandigarh, over 24 months among 6,000 women aged 40–65 years. Two breast cancer screening modalities—Breast Care Glove (BCG)–assisted CBE and CBE without BCG were performed concurrently by trained healthcare workers. BCG is a novel glove with enhanced fingertip

sensitivity, single-use, latex- and powder-free. This glove aids breast examination by heightening finger sensitivity. Screen positive women by either of the modalities were referred for further evaluation with Mammography.

Results: Among 6,000 women screened, the mean age was 50 years (SD +/-6.9 years). The screen positive rate is 9.2% (553) by Breast Care Glove (BCG) assisted CBE by Healthcare worker, and 7.4% (446) by CBE without BCG by Healthcare Worker. Using mammography as the reference, CBE with BCG showed sensitivity of 98.46%, specificity 91.76%, PPV 11.57%, and NPV 99.98%, while CBE without BCG by HCW

showed sensitivity of 92.31%, specificity 93.50%, PPV 13.45%, and NPV 99.91%. Agreement between BCG-assisted CBE and CBE without BCG was substantial, with a Cohen’s kappa value of 0.67.

Conclusion: BCG-assisted clinical breast examination demonstrated good diagnostic performance and showed comparable agreement with conventional CBE by healthcare workers. These findings support its usefulness as an effective adjunct screening tool, particularly in primary and resource-limited settings.

Dr. Devisowmiya Thiruvengadam - Senior Fellow in the Department of Preventive Oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. She holds an MD in Community Medicine from All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur and has a strong foundation in public health and cancer prevention. Professional focus lies in Capacity building for Common cancer screening, with particular emphasis on Breast and cervical cancer screening, health education, and community awareness. She has been actively involved in training healthcare workers and implementing evidence-based screening strategies aimed at early detection and improved health outcomes. She has worked on multiple research projects across various phases, with significant involvement in field-level implementation of the research focusing on Cancer Prevention.