Haptic Simulator for Training in Clinical Breast Examination 1

Breast cancer among women has reached epidemic proportions in the United States; with current estimates indicating that one woman in eight will develop breast cancer during her lifetime [1]. Breast cancer is also the second leading cause of death for all women. It is estimated that approximately 40,200 women in the U.S. will die from the disease in 2003 [2]. The incidence rate of invasive breast cancer in white women increased by 1.1% each year from 1992 to 1998, most of which was seen in women ages 50-74. The incidence rate in African-American women stayed level during the same period, but some increase was seen among African-American women older than 50. From 1992 to 1998, breast cancer was the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in women [3-5].