Henry S. Pennypacker's Contributions to Breast Cancer Detection: Developing a Behavioral Technology to Improve Breast Self-Exam Skills.

Abstract

Starting in the early 1970s, Henry S. Pennypacker and collaborators developed and validated a technology for assessing and training breast self-exam (BSE) skills that was eventually commercialized and widely disseminated. This article provides a brief synopsis of Pennypacker's research and highlights the connections among BSE, stimulus discrimination training, and signal detection theory. It also describes the role played by breast simulation models as a research tool that contributed to the identification and validation of effective BSE search strategies and eventually to the dissemination of a behaviorally based BSE training program to women and health-care workers. Commentary is provided on the impact of this research on the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. Finally, the focus on early detection skills is placed in the context of a larger body of research on the role of behavior and the application of behavior analytic interventions in improving health.