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BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is responsible for 10.4% of the global burden of cancers in women and half of this occurs in developing countries. In the sphere of cancer control, much would be achieved if breast cancer were to be detected early. Since a large proportion of patients in India present with advanced disease, any down-staging due to early detection will considerably reduce treatment cost as well as morbidity even if mortality is unaffected. This can be achieved by breast health awareness and adherence to screening practices. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this crosssectional study were 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. Additionally we also intended to demonstrate the correct method of BSE performance to each woman included in our study individually and privately. METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted over a period of two months commencing on August 1 2009 and ending on 30 September 2009. 80 women were interviewed by means of a structured questionnaire (after obtaining written informed consent) in the surgical outpatient department of the K.J.Somaiya Medical College, Sion, Mumbai. The questionnaire consisted of socio-demographic variables, breast cancer risk factors and protective factors and knowledge and practice of BSE. Further, attitude towards BSE was also evaluated. The data were analyzed by descriptive studies, chi square test and analysis of variance in order to find out the P value. The interview was followed by an interactive session where each woman was individually and privately educated on breast self-examination by the investigators themselves in the presence of a nurse. RESULTS: Breast cancer awareness was found to be 52% in this group of women even though 95% women claimed to have heard of the disease. Only 12% of all women had received information about breast cancer from health professionals while a majority (60%) stated their source of information to be family and friends. Level of breast cancer knowledge was significantly associated with age (younger women more aware than older), income (women belonging to higher income group found to be more aware than those who were economically deprived), literacy (graduates and post graduates more knowledgeable), parity (women bearing lesser number of children being more aware), occupation (teachers and businesswomen being the most aware versus farmers who were the least aware). 38% women had never heard of BSE and among those that had heard of it, 15% were regular while 23% were irregular performers. Thus performance of BSE was found to be inadequate in this group. Not knowing the correct method was the most frequently reported reason for non performance.
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