Knowledge and Attitude to Breast Cancer Screening and Risk Factors Among Women in Southwest Nigeria

Background: Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women in Nigeria. There are several reasons why over 60% of breast cancer patients present with advanced disease. Some of which are lack of awareness and poor uptake of cancer screening methods. Aim: This study aims to assess the knowledge of breast cancer risk factors and practice of screening modalities among a cross-section of women in 5 different local government areas in Lagos. Methods: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted among women during a breast cancer awareness and screening program in 5 local government areas of Lagos. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to assess the knowledge of breast cancer risk factors and practice of screening methods. Results were analyzed with SPSS version 21. Results: A total of 1113 respondents were surveyed across various communities. Distributions among semi-urban communities include: 29.7% from Mushin, 22.4% from Somolu, 18.2% from Ikeja, 15.8% from Kosofe and 13.8% from Idi-Araba. Mean age ± SD of respondents was 43.6 ± 12.6 years. Even though 78.5% have heard about breast cancer and screening only 29.3% had been screened. Breast screening modalities used were clinical breast examination (19.9%), mammogram (5.8%) and breast ultrasound (3.6%). Conclusion: This study shows that there is a low uptake of breast cancer screening practices and the high knowledge of screening methods did not translate to higher screening practices among the studied population. There is a need to create more awareness on the risk factors identification and emphasize the importance of regular screening for breast cancer as essentials for early diagnosis and survival.