scholarly journals Impact of breast cancer awareness health campaigns on knowledge of female educationalists of Islamabad and Rawalpindi; an interventional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-49
Author(s):  
Zahid Naeem ◽  
Mahrukh Nadeem ◽  
Musa Kamil ◽  
Aiman Ayub ◽  
Kalsoom Nawaz ◽  
...  

Introduction: Breast carcinoma is the leading cause of cancer in women worldwide. WHO statistics show 1.2 million new cases every year. Pakistan reports nearly 40,000 lives from Breast Cancer annually. Objective: To evaluate existing awareness levels regarding breast cancer among female educationalists in twin cities and to counsel the participants about diagnostic tools such as mammographic-screening and breast self-examination Methodology: The study design was an interventional community trial and was conducted on female teachers aged 30-60 years. Data was collected by a questionnaire, given before and after the interactive session to evaluate its impacts. SPSS Version 23 was used for data entry analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the quantitative and qualitative variables. McNemar’s test was applied for this. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Total number of participants was 106 women with a median age of 43.3 years (range of age 31-54 years). Before intervening, 67 (63.2%) participants had no knowledge of mammographic-screening and 15 (14.2%) participants didn’t know the definitive way of diagnosing it. 2 After intervention, mammogram was selected to be the definitive way of diagnosing breast cancer by 91 (85.8%) participants. 91(85.8%) participants would encourage close family and friends to get screened. 104 (98.1%) of women had become familiar with technique of self-examination, as compared to 63 (59.4%) before. Conclusion: Misconceptions about risk factors, screening methods and diagnostic procedures were identified and elucidated. This encouraged participants to start performing regular self-exams and get mammograms.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Zuweina Al-Ismaili ◽  
Khalid Al-Nasri ◽  
Amal Al-Yaqoobi ◽  
Ahmed Al-Shukaili

Objectives: This study aimed to assess knowledge of breast cancer (BC) risk factors, warning signs and symptoms and breast self-examination (BSE) practice among Omani female teachers in Al-Dhahira Governorate. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of female teachers aged 20–50 years was collected from January to December 2018 from three wilayats (provinces) in Al-Dhahira—Ibri, Dhank and Yunqal. A questionnaire that included the Breast Cancer Awareness Scale and demographic characteristics was administered. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis and Pearson’s Chi-square test. Results: A total of 478 female teachers were included in the study (response rate: 72.4%). The majority of participants (60.5%) had good overall knowledge about BC while 19.9% of participants had excellent overall knowledge. Only 9% of participants demonstrating excellent knowledge of BC risk factors. More than half of the participants (56.1%) reported excellent knowledge in screening methods. Unfortunately, only 57% of the female teachers indicated practising BSE. Knowledge of BC symptoms was closely divided between excellent and good levels (45.8 and 42.5%, respectively). BSE practice was significantly (P <0.05) correlated with overall knowledge of BC and its symptoms and screening methods, but not with knowledge of BC risk factors. Conclusion: This study revealed unsatisfactory overall knowledge of BC risk factors, symptoms, screening methods and BSE practice among female Omani teachers in Al-Dhahira Governorate. These findings constitute a challenge to healthcare providers to continue developing awareness of BC and providing health information to the public.Keywords: Breast Cancer; Awareness; Knowledge; Breast Self-Examination; Risk factors; Signs and Symptoms; Oman.


Author(s):  
Deogratias Mbuka-Ongona ◽  
John M. Tumbo

Introduction: In Botswana, breast cancer, the second most common malignancy amongst women, is often diagnosed late, with 90% of patients presenting at advanced stages at Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) Gaborone, the only referral hospital with an operational oncology department. The reasons for this late presentation have not been studied. Determination of these reasons is critical for the formulation of strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality from breast cancer in Botswana. The aim of this study was to explore existing knowledge about breast cancer and the reasons for late presentation amongst patients attending the oncology unit of Princess Marina Hospital.Method: A descriptive qualitative study using free attitude interview was performed.Twelve breast cancer sufferers were purposefully selected and eleven interviews conducted. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and translated. Thematic analysis of data was performed.Results: This study found that breast cancer sufferers had had poor knowledge of the disease prior to the diagnosis. Their knowledge improved markedly during their attendance to the oncology clinic. Screening methods such as breast self-examination (BSE) were not used frequently. The majority of participants had delayed going to the hospital because of a lack of knowledge, fear of the diagnosis and fear of death, misinterpretation of the signs, the influence of lay beliefs and advice from the community. In some cases, however, advice from family and friends resulted in a timely medical consultation. The poor clinical practices of some healthworkers and the inadequate involvement by decision makers regarding the issue of cancer awareness discouraged patients from seeking and adhering to appropriate therapy.Conclusions: Awareness and knowledge of breast cancer was found to be poor amongst sufferers prior to their diagnosis, but their awareness and knowledge improved after the diagnosis. There was limited use of screening methods and a generally delayed seeking of medical attention. The need for increased awareness and use of screening practices was identified to be essential for early diagnosis of the disease and for improved outcomes of breast cancer management in Botswana.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 117822342110253
Author(s):  
Zia Ullah ◽  
Muhammad Naseem Khan ◽  
Zia Ud Din ◽  
Saima Afaq

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and the second overall, following lung cancer. Breast cancer can occur at any age, with an increased incidence in women 40 years and above. Worldwide the incidence is around 1 million cases per year, 60% of the cases reported from low- and middle-income countries. The current study was conducted to determine knowledge, attitude, and practices related to breast cancer, the associated risk factors, and screening methods in women presenting to a health care facility from resource-poor settings in Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, and participants were recruited phase-wise from three major outpatient departments (OPDs) (Gynecology and Obstetrics OPD, Medical OPD, and Surgical OPD). Data were collected through the validated “Breast Cancer Awareness Measure” developed by Cancer Research UK, King’s College London, and University College London in 2009. Data were analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS) version 23.0. Students’s T-Test, ANOVA, and linear regression analysis were conducted. Results: A total of 430 women were invited for participation in the study from the 3 main OPDs, and 400 took part in the study (response rate = 93.02%). The mean age of the women was 33.62 years ± 12.3 years, and the mean years of formal education were 5.05 ± 6.3 years. Less than a quarter of the participants were aware of the breast cancer warning signs, and 23.3% recognized the pain in the armpit or one of the breasts as a sign of breast cancer. The proportion of women aware of age-related and lifetime risk of getting breast cancer was 15.0%. Furthermore, only 2.5% performed breast self-examination at least once a month. Women identified many barriers like embarrassment, transport, and confidentiality issues in seeking medical help. Conclusion: Overall, women had poor knowledge of breast cancer, related warning signs, breast self-examination, risk factors, and screening methods.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 1577-1584
Author(s):  
Kurnia Wijayanti ◽  
Fitria Endah Janitra ◽  
Indah Sri Wahyuningsih

The rate of new breast cancer cases is globally on the rise. This health condition is the most common cancer type suffered by adult women and adolescents in Indonesia. There is also a widespread concern of an increasing risk in subsequent generations. Therefore, the need to provide extensive awareness and prevention efforts appears very paramount, particularly in a premature stage. Early detection and diagnosis have been proved effective in breast cancer reduction and treatment. The peer group 'GiRLs Can' was formed to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities related to active breast cancer prevention. This initiative also involved peer education in the form of training, demonstration, practice and re-training. The results showed 90% of the ‘GiRLs Can’ members were well-informed on the basic concepts of breast cancer, and demonstrated accurate self-examination processes, meanwhile 89% were able to invite other peers to partake in the self-examination. Furthermore, the service team recommended the formation of similar groups in other locations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 3) ◽  
pp. 4s-4s
Author(s):  
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu

Purpose Of the leading types of cancer in women, breast cancer presents with the highest number of cases and is the leading cause of cancer death in less developed countries. Despite the promising positive impact of the Internet on breast cancer awareness, there is a paucity of information on the effect of Internet access on breast cancer knowledge in Nigeria. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of Internet access on breast cancer knowledge and the perceived benefit of breast self-examination among adults residing in Akure Town, Ondo State, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to determine the effect of access to the Internet on breast cancer knowledge and the perceived benefit of breast self-examination among Akure residents. The study was conducted in 295 men and women age 18 to 60 years residing in Akure who were selected using a systematic sampling technique. A telephone survey was used to collect data. Simple frequency distribution was used to describe the data, and bivariable logistic regression was used to test the association between variables. Results Almost all adults residing in Akure are aware of breast cancer and more than one half have a good knowledge of the disease. Although more than one half of the study population was found to have a good knowledge of breast cancer, most adults do not have knowledge of the risk factors of breast cancer. Nearly 97% of the 84% of participants who have ever conducted breast self-examination does so at least once in a month. Adults residing in Akure who have access to the Internet were more than two times more likely to have a good knowledge of breast cancer compared with their counterparts with no Internet access. Conclusion Knowledge of breast cancer is above average among Akure adults; however, more than one half of the adult populace in Akure still lacks adequate knowledge of the risk factors of breast cancer. Breast cancer awareness programs that are targeted at Akure residents should emphasize breast cancer risk factors and use the platform provided by the Internet. AUTHOR’S DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The following represents disclosure information provided by authors of this manuscript. All relationships are considered compensated. Relationships are self-held unless noted. I = Immediate Family Member, Inst = My Institution. Relationships may not relate to the subject matter of this manuscript. For more information about ASCO's conflict of interest policy, please refer to www.asco.org/rwc or ascopubs.org/jco/site/ifc . No COIs from the author.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 1045-1048

Breast cancer is a life threatening disease that occurs when an unconstrained and irregular breast cell develops. There are five stages of breast cancer where stage 0 is considered as the early stage since the cancer cells are not spread outside of ducts yet. In this stage, the early symptoms are possible to be detected and if it is swiftly diagnosed, the probability that the cancer to be successfully treated is very high. Breast Self Examination (BSE) is one of the recommended screening methods but it is reported to be confusing and inconsistent. This is because BSE only provide guidelines for breast examination. It does not give any result that user can rely on. Therefore, this research aims to develop a mobile application which applies fuzzy logic method and adopts BSE process to help a person diagnose the early stage of breast cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (21) ◽  
pp. 1588-1592
Author(s):  
Abinaya Valli Venkatesh Kumar ◽  
Vishnu Vardhan Yenuganti

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the second major cause of cancer mortality in women and is one of the important public health concerns of modern era. This suggests that the methods for early detection of breast cancer needs to be communicated to the general population. Breast self - examination (BSE) is one of the simplest ways of screening in breast cancer and this study intends to find the knowledge regarding breast cancer and BSE. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study conducted in women of reproductive age group belonging to an urban slum of Chennai. A sample of 170 women above 20 years of age were interviewed randomly using a pretested questionnaire in the local language. Ethical clearance was obtained from the IHEC of the Institution and proper informed consent was taken from the women included in the study. RESULTS In the study, we have identified that majority (84.7 %) of the women had awareness about breast cancer, but only 49 out of 170 were not aware that prevention is possible. Only 38.8 % of the subjects had heard of breast self-examination and among them, only 5.3 % had performed the BSE for cancer screening. Less than 2 % of the study population were fully aware about the procedure. Awareness regarding the disease is significantly associated with factors like age, education, and socioeconomic status. (P < 0.001) CONCLUSIONS Based on the study findings, poor knowledge about BSE and the breast cancer prevention methods was observed in this study suggesting the need to educate the high-risk age groups of women especially in low socioeconomic group. KEY WORDS Breast Cancer, Breast Self - Examination, Mammography, Reproductive Age Group, Cancer Awareness, Cancer Prevention, Risk Factors


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (29) ◽  
pp. 4201-4208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tejaswi Vittal Pujar ◽  
Gayathri Linganagouda ◽  
Seema Benakanakondi ◽  
Linganagouda Patil ◽  
Sathyanand A ◽  
...  

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