A Scoping Review of the Knowledge and Practice of Breast Self-Examination among Women in Nigeria

Abstract

Over 19 million cases of breast cancer were reported among women in 2020, surpassing lung cancer to become the leading cause of cancer worldwide. Women in developing countries have higher mortality rates than women in developed countries. Breast self-examination (BSE) is a simple procedure carried out by women themselves to determine any changes in their breasts and if needed seek further medical attention. This scoping review aimed to assess the available evidence on the knowledge and practice of BSE among women in Nigeria. This scoping review was conducted by searching African Journals On-Line (AJOL), ProQuest, PubMed and Science Direct databases for eligible studies. The relevant data was then extracted and a summary of the findings reported. 36 eligible articles were identified, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered for data extraction. All the studies included were cross-sectional descriptive surveys. The average reported knowledge of BSE is 67%, with 40% of study respondents practicing BSE, but only 26% of study respondents practiced BSE monthly. There’s low practice of BSE among women in Nigeria. Further research and appropriate interventions are needed to improve early detection and treatment of breast cancer.