Level of Awareness of Risk Factors for Breast Cancer Among Final -Year Medical Students. A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and the primary cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. Awareness of breast cancer among adults can help to reduce the hazards and uncertainty associated with its delayed diagnosis. This study was planned to determine the awareness of risk factors of breast cancer among male and female students of Final year MBBS of HITEC-IMS, Taxila cantt. Methodology: All the final -year MBBS students (n=102) at HITEC IMS, Taxila Cantt were inducted in the study through non-probability convenience sampling. A total of 99 students completed the self-administered survey via online Google Forms. Data was analyzed using the chi-square test in SPSS version 28. Results: Out of a total of 99 students, the female response was more (56.56%) as compared to males (43.43%) with an average age of 22.9±1.607 years. Awareness regarding the role of the use of oral contraceptive pills, hormone therapy, exposure to radiation and family history in increasing the chances of developing breast cancer was generally high for both genders, with no significant differences. A notable gender difference was found in the awareness of early menstruation (P-value = 0.010). Students’ awareness regarding the risk factors like high consumption of red meals, low consumption of vegetables and fruits, low physical activity, and starting menstruating before age 12 was relatively low in both genders. Conclusion: This research emphasizes the importance of targeted educational interventions to enhance breast cancer risk factor knowledge among medical students.