Practice Of Antenatal Clinical Breast Examination In Calabar

A Udo,M Ekott,E Udoma,E Ekanem,Ee Efiok

doi:10.4314/gjcm.v2i1-2.47922

Abstract

Reports of a rising incidence of breast cancer and the consistent finding of a significantly younger population of breast cancer patients in the country than in the west led to this study to determine the proportion of women who have a clinical breast examination at the booking visit for antenatal care in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).The booking information on the antenatal cards of patients who registered within a one-month period was examined. Clinical breast examination (CBE) was performed on 41.6% of the women. Women who were reviewed by consultants recorded a rate of 78.2% while the rates for women attended to by resident doctors and interns were 41.2% and 19.6% respectively (P=0.00). The CBE rate was 57.6% among women who were reviewed by female physicians and 38.3% among those reviewed by male physicians (P = 0.00). The practice of CBE in UCTH is low and is significantly related to the cadre and gender of the attending physician. Obstetricians must embrace the practice fully and utilize measures such as increased supervision and departmental seminars to sensitize doctors they train to emulate them. KEYWORDS: Antenatal, Practice and Breast Examination

Highlights

Breast Cancer is one of the two leading causes of female malignancy death in Nigeria (Ajayi 2002)
These findings suggest that have obstetricians not fully imbibed the practice of antenatal clinical breast examination (CBE); those who have are yet to impart the practice to doctors under their supervision
The level of practice of antenatal CBE in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) is low and a wide gap exists between the level of practice by consultants and doctors they supervise and among female physicians and their male colleagues

Summary

Introduction

Breast Cancer is one of the two leading causes of female malignancy death in Nigeria (Ajayi 2002). The fiveyear survival rate of patients in the country is less than 10% as against more than 70% in western countries (Okobia et al 2006). The remarkable survival rates in these nations are attributable to their screening programs which encourage early detection of premalignant and malignant lesions (Peto et al 2000). In Nigeria as with many other developing countries, there are no such national programs. More than two-thirds of patients present in hospital with advanced disease (Okobia et al 2006, Ihekwaba 1993, Anyawu 2000, Adesunkanmi et al 1999)

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Discussion

Conclusion