Cancer education matters: a report on testicular cancer knowledge, awareness, and self-examination practice among young Polish men

Łukasz Pietrzyk,Marta Denisow-Pietrzyk,Marcin Czeczelewski,Konrad Ślizień-Kuczapski,Kamil Torres

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-77734-3

Abstract

The objective of the study was to assess the level of testicular cancer (TC) knowledge and awareness as well as the altitude and practice towards testicular self-examination (TSE) among Polish male high school and medical students. An original questionnaire survey was conducted in SE Poland with a representative sample of 1077 male students: 335 from high school and 742 medical students. The results indicate the knowledge about TC epidemiology and the awareness of risk factors responsible for the TC was low. The knowledge of the signs and symptoms of TC was significantly higher among the medical students, compared to the high school students. The level of education was associated with the awareness of methods for early detection and symptoms of TC. A satisfactory level of awareness of the TSE practice was exhibited only by the medical students. The main reason for not performing self-examination was the lack of knowledge and practical skills. The deficits of knowledge of TC in young men should motivate the education policy makers in Poland to implement education in the field of TC issues more widely in high schools. Moreover, cancer prevention modules and/or teaching methods should be improved in medical schools.

Highlights

The objective of the study was to assess the level of testicular cancer (TC) knowledge and awareness as well as the altitude and practice towards testicular self-examination (TSE) among Polish male high school and medical students
The high school students accounted for 31.1% (n = 335), while the medical students represented 68.9% (n = 742)
Our study has revealed that the level of knowledge of TC among students, including medical students, is not satisfying

Summary

Introduction

The objective of the study was to assess the level of testicular cancer (TC) knowledge and awareness as well as the altitude and practice towards testicular self-examination (TSE) among Polish male high school and medical students. Testicular cancer (TC) is the most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in men between 15–40 years[1,2] It is a growing public health concern, as the incidence rates of TC have systematically increased worldwide in the last decades. The risk and benefits for testicular self-examination (TSE) are debatable, this method can potentially help to diagnose TC at the early stage[8,9,10,11,12,13]. The gap in the knowledge is reported even among men that have completed the higher level of education, including health care or medical education[18]

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Discussion

Conclusion