Breast cancer awareness and the acceptance of breast cancer screening
Breast cancer awareness is an effort to raise awareness of breast cancer and reduce the
disease's stigma by educating people about its symptoms, prevention measures and
treatment options. Many studies have looked at how knowledge and awareness on breast
cancer influences the acceptance of breast cancer screening among women. A study that
evaluated breast cancer awareness among women presenting with newly diagnosed breast
disease at University hospital in South Africa, revealed low breast cancer awareness and
hence low rates of self and clinical examinations of the breast and low mammographic
screening rates. The objective of the study was to assess the level of breast cancer
awareness among women presenting with newly diagnosed breast disease at University
Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The breast cancer awareness of the women, in
turn, was related to their screening practices and the stage of breast cancer at
presentation. Reports of data on the number of breast cancer awareness campaigns held
and the number of people reached during the period April to June 2006 were acquired
from Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA).
Data was also obtained by means of interviewer-administered structured questionnaires,
from consenting women presenting with newly diagnosed breast disease at University
Hospital during the period May 2006 to April 2007. The result showed the examination
and screening practices of women presenting with newly diagnosed breast disease at the
University Hospital were generally low. This may be attributed to a general lack of
awareness of the rising incidence of breast cancer in the Free State among both the public
and healthcare professionals. (Matatiel and Heever, 2008).
A descriptive study conducted jointly at one public sector and one private hospital of
Nawabshah, Pakistan to assess factors responsible for late presentation of breast cancer
revealed that most cases of breast cancer presented in advanced stage probably due to
poor economic status, illiteracy and negligence by patients or their family members and
general practitioners. Sampling strategy was convenient sampling for the period of 5
years during which all the patients of breast cancer presented in the two hospitals were
studied. (Altaf, Abdul, Abdulghaffar, & Ali, 2011).
Ahuja and Chakrabarti (2010) determined the level of knowledge regarding breast cancer
and to increase awareness about breast cancer screening practice among a group of
women in a tertiary care in Mumbai India. The aims was to determine the level of
knowledge regarding breast cancer and to measure breast self-examination (BSE)
performance in a group of 80 women aged 40 years and above. they conducted a cross
sectional study over a period of two months commencing on August 1st 2009 and ending
on 30th September 2009. 80 women were interviewed by means of a structured
questionnaire. This study revealed that the respondents lacked knowledge of vital issues
related to breast cancer and that practice of Breast Self-Examination was inadequate. It
also revealed that doctors were not forthcoming in providing information to the general
public regarding breast health. Spreading awareness amongst the general public is the
need of the hour and should be advocated by means of effective educational programs.
Aluamhe, (2011) in his study to investigate breast cancer awareness and breast
examination practices among women in a Niger delta hospital among the patient
population visiting the general out-patient department of Central Hospital Warri showed
that the practice of self-breast examination was significantly associated with previous
breast complaints, a previous breast procedure, previous clinical breast examination and
having a family member or acquaintance with breast cancer. The study used interviewer
administered questionnaire designed to assess the awareness of breast cancer and breast
examination practices of the women visiting the outpatient department of the hospital.
The respondents ranged between 20-80 years. Breast cancer awareness was noted in
96.1% of respondents. Forty three point six percent of respondents knew breast cancer
begins with a breast lump. Self-breast examination had been practiced in 45.5% of
respondents. Of this number, 83.3% of the practitioners did so at least monthly.
Clinical breast examination had been experienced in 15.6% of respondents.
In Kenya, a study conducted to assess Knowledge and practice about cervical
cancer and Pap smear testing among cervical cancer and non-cancer patients using
a structured questionnaire to obtain information at Kenyatta National Hospital.
It revealed that fifty-one percent of the respondents were aware of cervical cancer
while 32% knew about Pap smear testing. There were no significant differences in
knowledge between cervical cancer and non-cancer patients and in both cases the
level of knowledge was found to be low.
These studies show that most women are not taking up breast cancer screening
due to high illiteracy level and lack of knowledge about vital issues related to
breast cancer and prevention measures. From the review, previous breast
complaints was also associated to practices of breast self-examination and high
knowledge among women showed increase in uptake of breast cancer screening.
The studies recommended the need to increase the level of knowledge and
awareness about breast cancer and screening practices among women to increase
uptake of the currently available hospital screening facilities.
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