Attitude, Awareness and Experience of Women towards the Breast Self-examination in Saudi Arabia

Objective: To evaluate the attitude, awareness and experience of Women towards the breast self-examination.

Methods: This is population-based study with the total number of the participants were 349 between 25-70 yrs of age, between December 2017 to February 2018 at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah. A questionnaire was given to females attending the clinic or attending a lecture for breast cancer awareness.

Results: A total of 349 patients were studied. Saudi was 76.5% and non-Saudi was 23.5%. Patients less than 25 years were 26.4% and above 25 years were 73.6%. The majority were between 25 to 45 years of age which was 66.4%. The majority were married 64.5%, single 30.4%, widow 2.9% and divorced were 2.3%. 65% had children and 59.3% did lactate their kids. Use of contraceptive pills was 50.4%. Family history of breast cancer was in 18.1% and sister had breast cancer in 3.46%, aunt 3.7%, stepdaughter in 6%, grandmother in 3.2% and mother in 2% of cases. Smokers were 10.6%. Family history of other malignancy was in 9.7% with colon cancer in 6.3% and uterus in 3.4%.

History of taking herbs was in 14.6% of cases of which soya in 3.4%, baboon 2.6%, green tea 2.3%, ginger 2.3% and weight lowering herbs 1.7%. 12.3% of patient had breast biopsy and 12% had another tumour like thyroid, uterus, colon etc. 22.1% admitted that they did self- breast examination. Their source of knowledge about breast self-examination was Television in 13.5%, hospital 5.7% and doctor in 2.9%. Routine clinical examination was done in 82.2% and the reason for it was not known to the majority of them. Examination by doctors was done in 25.5% of cases. Mammography was done by 16.9%, ultrasound in 16.9%. 12.3% preferred mammography. Regarding the belief that biopsy will lead to spreading of the tumour, 16.3% said that they believe it. 3.4% believed that cancer is infective disease and 86.2% believed that breastfeeding decreases breast cancer incidence.

Conclusions: Breast self-examination is an effective tool to detect early breast cancer especially in poor and underdeveloped countries which lack resources for proper screening of breast cancer. Cultural beliefs and ritual practices may affect early detection of breast cancer.