Knowledge about prevention, risk factors and treatment in women with diagnosed breast cancer. Whether the disease affects their healthy behaviour?

Abstract

Objective. The assessment of knowledge about prevention and risk factors of women with diagnosed breast cancer. Material and methods. The study involved 100 women aged from 28 to 82 years (median 56.2 years) who were treated at the Oncology Center in Bydgoszcz in 2014 for breast cancer. Author’s original questionnaire containing questions on knowledge about breast cancer as well as environmental and demographic data was used in this research. Results. Self-examination of a breast was made by 83% of women, 85% of women benefited from invitations for mammography. 56% of women knew how often mammography should be repeated but only 28% knew at what age it should be started. Tumor in a breast (20.5%) and “pulling” nipples (14.4%) were the most frequently reported symptoms of a cancer. In terms of risk factors, genetics (32.2%) and unhealthy lifestyle (16.3%) were the factors pointed by women most often. Every third women indicated only one factor while every four indicated three factors. 69% of the respondents increased their knowledge after falling ill, from the Internet (20.5%) as well as from information leaflets and brochures (16.6%). Women’s knowledge about breast cancer was at the edge of low and average levels and the average value was 11.7 points. More knowledge had women with higher education 12.95 points, single 12.9 and young women 12.3. Conclusions. The knowledge about the disease among women with diagnosed breast cancer was unsatisfactory and did not depend on age, marital status, place of residence, type of work but on education level only. Older and uneducated women had less knowledge, particularly about factors increasing the risk of developing the disease. The Internet, information leaflets and brochures were the primary source of knowledge about the disease, not a doctor or a nurse. Women with breast cancer were aware of the importance of preventive tests. They declared that they can perform self-examination. The most frequently reported symptoms of cancer are tumor and “pulling” nipples.