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Annals of Agricultural and... Dec 2017Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is the second cancer frequently occurring worldwide of newly-diagnosed cancers. There is much evidence showing... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is the second cancer frequently occurring worldwide of newly-diagnosed cancers. There is much evidence showing the influence of life style and environmental factors on the development of mammary gland cancer (high-fat diet, alcohol consumption, lack of physical exercise), the elimination of which (primary prevention) may contribute to a decrease in morbidity and mortality. Secondary prevention, comprising diagnostic tests (e.g. mammography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, breast self-examination, as well as modern and more precise imaging methods) help the early detection of tumours or lesions predisposing to tumours.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study paper is to review current knowledge and reports regarding primary and secondary prevention of breast cancer.
STATE OF KNOWLEDGE
It is estimated that nearly 70% of malign tumours are caused by environmental factors, whereas in breast cancer this percentage reaches 90-95%. There are national programmes established in many countries to fight cancer, where both types of prevention are stressed as serving to decrease morbidity and mortality due to cancers.
CONCLUSIONS
Cancer prevention is currently playing a key role in the fight against the disease. Behaviour modification, as well as greater awareness among women regarding breast cancer, may significantly contribute towards reducing the incidence of this cancer. Another important aspect is the number of women undergoing diagnostic tests, which still remains at an unsatisfactory level.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Female; Humans; Life Style; Secondary Prevention
PubMed: 29284222
DOI: 10.26444/aaem/75943 -
TheScientificWorldJournal 2021Breast cancer is the highest public detected cancer among female population in the majority of countries worldwide. Breast self-examination (BSE) is a useful screening...
Breast cancer is the highest public detected cancer among female population in the majority of countries worldwide. Breast self-examination (BSE) is a useful screening tool to empower women and raise awareness about their breast tissues and help detect any breast abnormalities when they occur. This study aimed to assess the level of female university students' knowledge and practice of BSE. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge about breast cancer and related items, and an observation checklist was used to test practicing BSE using a breast simulator. Eighty-six students participated in the study, 58.1% studying nursing and 41.9% studying clinical nutrition in the third (40.7%) or the fourth level (59.3%). Of them, 24.4% had previous family history of breast cancer. The majority of the students (80.2%) had previous information about breast cancer acquired from different sources, university studies (57%), the Internet (45%), and social media (41%). Findings showed good scores (≥70%) regarding signs and symptoms and risk factors of breast cancer; however, low knowledge scores (<70%) were detected regarding general knowledge about breast cancer disease, methods of early detection and management, and applying steps of practicing BSE. Roughly all the students (96.5%) have heard about BSE, and 69.8% knew the time to do BSE; however, only 31.4% practice it regularly. Three barriers to practice were dominant among students who do not have a breast problem (39.7%), do not know how to do it (37.9%), and being busy 31%. On the other hand, breast cancer early detection purpose and the presence of family history of breast cancer were considered facilitators to regular practice BSE. A statistically significant relationship existed between knowledge about the steps of applying the BSE and regular practicing. A training program should be implemented to increase the level of awareness about BC and practicing BSE.
Topics: Adult; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Self-Examination; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Mammary Glands, Human; Middle East; Risk Factors; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities
PubMed: 34007246
DOI: 10.1155/2021/6640324 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Jun 2019Background: Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality among women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Many young women in the UAE have poor knowledge about breast...
Background: Breast cancer is a leading cause of mortality among women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Many young women in the UAE have poor knowledge about breast cancer screening, including risk factors and warning signs/symptoms. We investigated awareness about breast cancer and breast self-examination (BSE) as a screening tool among female students at the University of Sharjah, UAE. Methods: This study used a cross sectional survey design. Participants were 241 undergraduate female students (aged ≥18 years) from three University of Sharjah campuses. Data were collected from March to April 2017 using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire covered: sociodemographic characteristics; knowledge about breast cancer, risk factors, and warning signs/symptoms; and knowledge and practice of BSE. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-square tests. Results: About 38.6% of participants were from the Medical campus, 37.3% were from the Women’s campus, and 24% were from the Fine Arts and Design campus. Most (99%) participants had heard of breast cancer. About 50% were knowledgeable about the risk factors, but only 38% were knowledgeable about warning signs/symptoms. The most commonly identified risk factors were family and personal histories of breast cancer, and the most commonly identified warning sign/symptom was breast lump. There was a significant association between knowledge about risk factors and campus type. Participants from the Medical campus were more knowledgeable about risk factors than participants from the other two campuses. Overall, 68.5% of participants had heard of BSE, but few participants actually performed BSE. Reasons for not performing BSE included “forgetting” and “not knowing how.” Conclusions: Although most participants were aware of breast cancer, knowledge about risk factors and warning signs/symptoms was relatively poor. Knowledge about performing BSE was particularly low. This highlights the importance of increasing awareness about breast cancer and BSE among young women in the UAE.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Self-Examination; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Prognosis; Surveys and Questionnaires; United Arab Emirates; Young Adult
PubMed: 31244316
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.6.1901 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Mar 2019Background: Globally, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women and is a leading cause of mortality in Indonesia. Raising awareness of breast cancer is...
Background: Globally, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women and is a leading cause of mortality in Indonesia. Raising awareness of breast cancer is particularly important to help at risk women seek medical treatment for this disease. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the Indonesian women’s level of knowledge about breast cancer risk factors, barriers, attitude and breast cancer screening. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study administered the breast cancer awareness Indonesian scale (BCAS-I) to 856 Indonesian women. Samples were selected in rural and urban combinations from three provinces by stratified random sampling. The ordinal logistic model was used to investigate the clustering effect of the participant’s characteristics in this study. Results: Of the women, 62% lived in rural areas and 38% lived in urban areas. Living in an urban area was significantly associated with a lower knowledge of the risk factors. However, living in an urban area was significantly associated with better attitudes and healthier behaviours related to breast cancer awareness. Women with higher education levels had 70% worse attitudes toward breast cancer awareness. Women living South of Sumatera, women living in Yogyakarta, and unmarried women were 5.03, 3.84, and 1.56 times as likely to have higher perceived barriers, respectively. Conclusion: Urban women had a poorer level of knowledge of breast cancer risk factors compared to women living in more rural areas. The result of this study may reflect inadequate breast cancer awareness campaigns or a lack of breast cancer awareness campaigns. These findings suggest that additional education programs aiming to increase awareness and educate the public are needed.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Attitude to Health; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Self-Examination; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Behavior; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Indonesia; Middle Aged; Perception; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 30912407
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.3.877 -
BMC Cancer Feb 2022Breast cancer is a global health issue and a leading cause of death among women. Early detection through increased awareness and knowledge on breast cancer and breast... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
Effectiveness of educational intervention on breast cancer knowledge and breast self-examination among female university students in Bangladesh: a pre-post quasi-experimental study.
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is a global health issue and a leading cause of death among women. Early detection through increased awareness and knowledge on breast cancer and breast cancer screening is thus crucial. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of an educational intervention program on breast cancer knowledge and the practice of breast self-examination among young female students of a university in Bangladesh.
METHODS
A quasi-experimental (pre-post) study design was conducted at Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh. Educational information on breast cancer and breast self-examination (BSE), demonstration of BSE procedure and leaflets were distributed among 400 female students after obtaining written informed consent. The stepwise procedures of BSE performance were demonstrated with images. Pre-intervention and 15 days post-intervention assessments were conducted to assess the changes in knowledge on breast cancer and practices of BSE. Mc-Nemar's tests and paired sampled t-tests were performed to investigate the differences between pre- and post-test stages.
RESULTS
A total of 400 female university students aged 18-26 years were included in the sample. Significant changes were found in knowledge and awareness about breast cancer and BSE practices after the educational intervention. The significant differences were measured in the mean scores of pre-test vs. post-test: breast cancer symptoms (2.99 ± 1.05 vs. 6.35 ± 1.15; p < 0.001), risk factors (3.35 ± 1.19 vs. 7.56 ± 1.04; p < 0.001), treatment (1.79 ± 0.90 vs. 4.63 ± 0.84; p < 0.001), prevention (3.82 ± 1.32 vs. 7.14 ± 1.03; p < 0.001), screening of breast cancer (1.82 ± 0.55 vs. 3.98 ± 0.71; p < 0.001) and process of BSE (1.57 ± 1.86 vs. 3.94 ± 0.93; p < 0.001). Likewise, a significant percentage of change in BSE practices was obtained between pre-test and post-test (21.3% vs. 33.8%; p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Study findings confirm that the study population had inadequate awareness and knowledge at baseline which was improved significantly after educational intervention. A nationwide roll-out with community-based interventions is recommended for the female population in both rural and urban areas.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Bangladesh; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Self-Examination; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Research Design; Students; Universities; Young Adult
PubMed: 35193526
DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09311-y -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Sep 2019Background: Early detection of breast cancer is essential in improving overall women’s health. The researchers sought to develop a comprehensive measure that combined...
Background: Early detection of breast cancer is essential in improving overall women’s health. The researchers sought to develop a comprehensive measure that combined the basic components of the health belief model (HBM) with a focus on breast self-examination (BSE) and screening mammogram amongst women. Methods: Questionnaire items were developed following a review of relevant literature of HBM on BSE and screening mammogram. The sampling frame for the study was Malaysian women aged 35 to 70 years old, living in Kuantan, Pahang and able to read or write in Bahasa Malaysia or English. As such, 103 women were randomly selected to participate in the study. Tests of validity using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability were subsequently performed to determine the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. Results: The EFA revealed nine factors (self-efficacy of mammogram, perceived barriers of BSE and mammogram, perceived susceptibility of breast cancer, perceived severity of breast cancer, cues to action for mammogram screening, perceived benefits of BSE, health motivation, perceived benefits of mammogram and self-efficacy of BSE) containing 54 items that jointly accounted for 74.2% of the observed variance. All nine factors have good internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha ≥ 0.8. Fifty-four items remained in the final questionnaire after deleting 13 problematic items. The scale also showed good convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusion: The findings showed that the designed questionnaire was a valid and reliable instrument for the study involving women in Kuantan, Pahang. The instrument can help to assess women’s beliefs on BSE adoption and mammogram screening in health care practice and research.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Self-Examination; Culture; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Behavior; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Malaysia; Mammography; Middle Aged; Motivation; Prognosis; Psychometrics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Women's Health
PubMed: 31554389
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.9.2865 -
BMC Women's Health Oct 2019Incidence of breast cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has increased in recent years. Screening helps in early detection of cancer and early diagnosis and...
BACKGROUND
Incidence of breast cancer in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has increased in recent years. Screening helps in early detection of cancer and early diagnosis and timely treatment of breast cancer lead to a better prognosis. Women in the healthcare profession can have a positive impact on the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of general public. Therefore, it is important that the healthcare workers themselves have adequate knowledge and positive attitudes. We conducted a study to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to breast cancer screening among female healthcare professionals.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted on female health professional of KFMC (King Fahad Medical City). Data was collected using a pre-designed, tested, self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included specific sections to test the participants' knowledge, attitude, and practices related to cervical cancer and its screening. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS
A total of 395 health care workers participated in this study. The mean age of the participants was 34.7 years. Participants included physicians (n = 63, 16.0%), nurses (n = 261, 66.1%), and allied health workers (n = 71, 18.0%). Only 6 (1.5%) participants had a good level of knowledge of breast cancer and 104 (26.8%) participants demonstrated a fair level of knowledge. Overall, 370 (93.7%), 339 (85.8%), and 368 (93.2%) participants had heard of breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography, respectively. A total of 295 (74.7%) participants reported practicing breast self-examination, 95 (24.1%) had undergone clinical breast examination, and 74 (18.7%) had ever undergone mammography.
CONCLUSION
The knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to breast cancer screening were found to be lower than expected. Active steps are required to develop educational programs for the health care staff, which might empower them to spread the knowledge and positively influence the attitudes of female patients in the hospital.
Topics: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Breast Neoplasms; Breast Self-Examination; Cross-Sectional Studies; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Personnel; Humans; Mammography; Middle Aged; Saudi Arabia; Surveys and Questionnaires; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Women's Health
PubMed: 31640681
DOI: 10.1186/s12905-019-0819-x