Breast Cancer Screening Methods Research Articles

Breast cancer screening behavior and its associated factors in female employees in South Khorasan.

BACKGROUND:Breast cancer is a preventable disease, using three secondary preventive methods of mammography, clinical breast examination (CBE), and breast self-examination (BSE) that can lead to early detection of breast cancer. This study was designed to assess breast cancer screening behavior and its associated factors in females employed in South Khorasan.MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this analytic-descriptive study, 2256 female personnel of governmental organizations were investigated in Birjand city in 2016–2017. The data collection tool was a three-part questionnaire: sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge about breast cancer screening methods plus women's performance, and stage of change regarding screening behaviors of mammography, CBE, and BSE. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16 and one-way analysis variance, Tukey's post hoc, and multiple logistic regression model statistical tests.RESULTS:The mean ± standard deviation score of knowledge of the women was 3.45 ± 1.5. There was a significant difference of the mean score of knowledge between the single and married (P = 0.03) and age group (P = 0.04). The stage action of mammography, CBE, and BSE was 6.8%, 12.3%, and 16.8%, respectively. Logistic regression model showed that variables such as age and family history of breast cancer were highly significant related to mammography and also CBE. Knowledge was also highly significant in mammography, CBE, and BSE. Education level in CBE, marital status in BSE and mammography, and job in BSE were also significant (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS:This study reveals insufficient knowledge of female workers about breast cancer and the negative influence of low knowledge on the practice of breast cancer screening behavior. Therefore, the establishment and maintenance of regular educational courses for female employees is essential.

Socio-demographic Factors Associated with Utilization of Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Methods in Turkey

Socio-demographic Factors Associated with Utilization of Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Methods in Turkey

Obstacles and awareness of mammography screening among Saudi women attending King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital in Taif city, Saudi Arabia

Background: Low uptake rates were reported for mammographic screening (MS) among Arab women. The present study aimed to assess obstacles and awareness of MS among Saudi women attending King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital in Taif city, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out during April-August 2021 involving all women aged 40-70 years who attended the King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital in Taif city, Saudi Arabia. The study sample was 210 women. Structured interviewing questionnaires were used for data collection. Results: The most common personal obstacles toward MS were fear of the discovery of Breast cancer (BC) (71.4%), fear of radiation (65.2%), fear of cancer treatment (65.2%), and the embarrassment of breast examination (63.8%). The most common health system barriers were fear of errors in diagnosis (67.5%), long time to get an appointment (57.1%), and will not do MS except if recommended by the doctor (55.2%). The most common known risk factors of BC were family history (FH), unhealthy food, smoking, and lack of exercise. 78.1% of the participants knew that MS is the ideal method for BC screening, and 66.2% reported that MS was recommended above 40 years. Only 13.8% of the participants had a good knowledge level. Married females, those who had university/postgraduate education, were employed, had a higher monthly income [(7,000 Saudi riyals (SR)], and had FH of BC had significantly higher mean knowledge scores. Participants of rural residence, divorced/widowed, with low education, and low monthly income had higher mean barrier scores to MS. Conclusion: Addressing these barriers and raising awareness about MS may be highly beneficial in increasing its uptake among Saudi women.

A Qualitative Focus Group Study for the Exploration of Knowledge and Attitudes of Informal Caregivers Toward Breast Cancer: Perceptions of Informal Caregivers and Healthcare Professionals in Three European Countries

Breast cancer (BC) early screening and detection is a main component for the outcome of the treatment and overall survival. Informal caregivers (ICGs) are less likely to initiate early BC screening methods and utilize health services. The purpose of this study was to explore ICGs’ knowledge and perceptions, including educational and training opportunities or barriers, in promoting early detection practices for BC, as well as healthcare professionals’ (HCP) respective perceptions concerning ICGs in order to identify the need of selected health literacy interventions. A qualitative focus group study was implemented in 3 European countries, using a purposive sampling technique. In total, 26 ICGs and 18 HCPs were involved. The themes that emerged from the focus groups interviews included knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs concerning BC; motivational factors and barriers that influence early screening practices and personal involvement. Motivators and barriers concerning BC screening adherence were linked to knowledge, beliefs and perceptions. Health promotion strategies and user-friendly tools should be developed, targeting on the implementation of BC early detection practices among informal caregivers.

Reference Breast Phantoms for Low-Cost Microwave Imaging

Microwave imaging provides an alternative method for breast cancer screening and the diagnosis of cerebrovascular accidents. Before a surgical operation, the performance of microwave imaging systems should be evaluated on anatomically detailed anthropomorphic phantoms. This paper puts forward the advances in the development of breast phantoms based on 3D printing structures filled with liquid solutions that mimic biological tissues in terms of complex permittivity in a wide microwave frequency band. In this paper; four different experimental scenarios were created, and measurements were performed, and although there are many vector network analyzers on the market, the miniVNA used in this study has been shown to have potential in many biomedical applications such as portable computer-based breast cancer detection studies. We especially investigated the reproducibility of a particular mixture and the ability of some mixes to mimic various breast tissues. Afterwards, the images similar to the experimentally created scenarios were obtained by implementing the inverse radon transform to the obtained data.

Association between cancer stigma and breast self examination among nurses

Breast cancer is the primary cause of cancer mortality, worldwide, and in Indonesian women. Late stage cancer is an important predictor of cancer mortality. Breast self-examination (BSE) is recommended as a way to potentially allow for early detection of any breast anomalies. A previous study found that only 39.5% of nurses reported practicing BSE on a regular monthly basis. Cancer-related stigma among non-cancer patients is an important predictor of cancer screening. This study aimed to identify the relationship between cancer stigma and BSE among nurses. The study applied a cross-sectional analytic design. A total of 88 nurses were selected via random sampling. The Chi-square test was used to analyze the data. The results showed that there is a significant association between cancer stigma and BSE among nurses (p<0.001; α≤0.05). This finding implies that cancer stigma among nurses needs to be minimized to increase adherence to BSE. Programs for reducing cancer stigma can improve adherence to breast cancer screening methods.

Early diagnosis of breast cancer from exhaled breath by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis: A prospective cohort study.

BackgroundIt has proved that there is an association between cancer and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of exhaled breath. This study targets on verifying the existence of specific VOCs in breathing in breast cancer patients, especially those with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).MethodsThere were a total of 203 participants included in the final analysis, which included 71 (35.0%) patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer (including 13 with DCIS, 31 with lymph node metastasis‐negative status, and 27 with lymph node metastasis‐positive status), 78 (38.4%) healthy volunteers, and 54 (26.6%) patients with histologically confirmed gastric cancer. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry and solid‐phase microextraction were used to analyze the breath samples for the presence of VOCs.ResultsThere were significant differences in the volatile organic metabolites between the DCIS, lymph node metastasis‐negative breast cancer, and lymph node metastasis‐positive breast cancer groups compared with the healthy controls as well as between the breast cancer and gastric cancer patients. An overlapping set of seven VOCs, including (S)‐1,2‐propanediol, cyclopentanone, ethylene carbonate, 3‐methoxy‐1,2‐propanediol, 3‐methylpyridine, phenol, and tetramethylsilane, was significantly different between the breast cancer patients and healthy individuals as well as between the breast cancer and gastric cancer patients. The combination of these seven compounds was considered as a biomarker for breast cancer. The sensitivity for predicting DCIS by this set of seven compounds was determined to be 80.77%, and the specificity was determined to be 100%.ConclusionsThis set of seven breast cancer‐specific VOCs can be regarded as one particular expiratory marker for DCIS and will help to establish new screening methods for early breast cancer.

Prophylactic Mastectomy: A boon or bane?

Globally, breast cancer is the second most common cancer next only to lung cancer and a major public health challenge to women’s health. Worldwide, breast cancer affects 1.3 million women every year which represents 23% of all cancers in women. It is estimated that by 2030 the global burden of breast cancer will increase to over 2 million new cases per year. Unlike other cancers, breast cancer is treatable if detected at an early stage. Management of women who carry a high lifetime risk for breast cancer is always an issue of debate. A number of risk-reducing treatment options with varying efficacy exist, including regular surveillance, chemoprevention, and prophylactic surgery. Prophylactic mastectomy (PM) or Risk reducing mastectomy (RRM) remains a controversial procedure as a preventive tool against breast cancer. More women are opting for prophylactic mastectomy as a risk reducing strategy for breast cancer. Prophylactic mastectomy is appropriate only for a small proportion of women who are at high risk for breast cancer. Patient misconceptions about recurrence risk and fear have been implicated in the increase in prophylactic procedures. Other possible reasons for the rise in prophylactic mastectomy are highly sensitive breast cancer screening methods, which diagnose breast cancer at earlier stages, and improved breast reconstruction techniques. With this background this paper aims to analyze the pros and cons of preventive mastectomy.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Breast Cancer, Breast SelfExamination and Mammography among Female Students in Saudi Arabia

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of Breast cancer, Breastself-examination (BSE) and mammography among female students in the College of Applied MedicalSciences.Methods: The study was conducted at College of Applied Medical Sciences in University of Hafr AlBatin. after being approved by the local research Ethics committee. The sample was consisted of 200undergraduates’ female students from third and fourth academic year. The questionnaire consists of foursections: demographic data, knowledge of BC, BSE and mammogram (21 questions), knowledge of riskfactors (7 questions), and attitudes (17 items. The findings revealed that 71% of the respondents had goodknowledge of breast cancer, 63% had satisfactory level of breast self-examination, and 53% had poor levelof mammogram. Furthermore, 72% and 59% of respondents had positive attitude towards BC and BSErespectively, while 69% of them had negative attitude regarding mammogram.Conclusion: Lack of knowledge and attitudes about BSE and mammogram practice among female studentsmay due to their beliefs that young women are not at risk and do not need to be aware with all breast cancerscreening methods.

Awareness of Self-Examination, Screening, and Risk Factors for Breast Cancer Among Women Awaiting Care at the Outpatient Clinic of a Mastology Unit

This study aimed to evaluate the awareness and practice of breast self-examination (BSE) and the awareness of screening and risk factors for breast cancer among patients from a mastology clinic and to associate such findings with sociodemographic factors of that population. A total of 202 randomly selected patients from the outpatient clinic of the Mastology Unit of São Paulo School of Medicine were interviewed. A structured questionnaire was used and included questions regarding sociodemographic variables, questions to assess the knowledge and practice of BSE, and knowledge of mammographic screening and risk factors for breast cancer. The vast majority of patients were aware of the existence of BSE (93.1%). BSE was performed by most patients (64.9%), although only 20.3% performed it adequately. Only 21.8% of respondents showed awareness of the best screening method for breast cancer. Furthermore, 17.3% of patients showed adequate awareness of risk factors for breast cancer. The analysis of sociodemographic variables showed that older, postmenopausal, and less-educated women showed better practice of BSE. Overall, the patients had no adequate awareness of BSE, mammographic screening, and risk factors for breast cancer, and the majority failed to practice BSE adequately, particularly the group of patients with the higher level of education. These data show that educational measures regarding the practice of BSE and, especially, mammograms should be emphasized, regardless of education level or family income of the patient.

Consultation personnalisée d’évaluation du risque de cancer du sein : premiers résultats

In France, participation in the organized breast cancer screening program remains insufficient. A personalized approach adapted to the risk factors for breast cancer (RBC) should make screening more efficient. A RBC evaluation consultation would therefore make it possible to personalize this screening. Here we report our initial experience. This is a prospective study on women who were seen at the RBC evaluation consultation and analyzing: their profile, their risk assessed according to Tyrer Cuzick model (TC)±Mammorisk© (MMR), the existence of an indication of oncogenetic consultation (Eisinger and Manchester score), their satisfaction and the recommended monitoring. Among the women who had had a TCS and/or MMR evaluation of SCR (n=153), 76 (50%) had a high risk (n=67) or a very high risk (n=9). Almost half (47%) had a possible (15%) or certain (32%) indication to an oncogenetic consultation. Regarding this consultation, 98% of women were satisfied or very satisfied. In total, 60% of women had a change in screening methods. This RBC evaluation consultation satisfies women and for a majority of them, modifies their methods of breast cancer screening.

Knowledge of Breast Cancer and Screening Methods among Rural Women in Southwest Nigeria: A Mixed Method Analysis

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware of it. The commonly known screening method among women in the study was breast self-examination (66.7%). Some believed that breast cancer is used as a form of spiritual attack to punish women. Knowledge of breast cancer etiology was also low. The major source of information on breast cancer was radio. The study concluded that health education and programs targeting rural women should be adopted to increase their awareness of breast cancer.

Identification of profiles of volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath by means of an electronic nose as a proposal for a screening method for breast cancer: a case-control study

The objective of the present study was to identify volatile prints from exhaled breath, termed breath-print, from breast cancer (BC) patients and healthy women by means of an electronic nose and to evaluate its potential use as a screening method. A cross-sectional study was performed on 443 exhaled breath samples from women, of whom 262 had been diagnosed with BC by biopsy and 181 were healthy women (control group). Breath-print analysis was performed utilizing the Cyranose 320 electronic nose. Group data were evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA), canonical discriminant analysis (CDA), and support vector machine (SVM), and the test’s diagnostic power was evaluated by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The results obtained using the model generated from the CDA, which best describes the behavior of the assessed groups, indicated that the breath-print of BC patients was different from that of healthy women and that they presented with a variability of up to 98.8% and a correct classification of 98%. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value reached 100% according to the ROC curve. The present study demonstrates the capability of the electronic nose to separate between healthy subjects and BC patients. This research could have a beneficial impact on clinical practice as we consider that this test could probably be used at the first point before the application of established gold tests (mammography, ultrasound, and biopsy) and substantially improve screening tests in the general population.

The Application of an Iterative Structure to the Delay-and-Sum and the Delay-Multiply-and-Sum Beamformers in Breast Microwave Imaging.

Breast microwave imaging (BMI) is a potential breast cancer screening method. This manuscript presents a novel iterative delay-and-sum (DAS) based reconstruction algorithm for BMI. This iterative-DAS (itDAS) algorithm uses a forward radar model to iteratively update an image estimate. A variation of the itDAS reconstruction algorithm that uses the delay-multiply-and-sum (DMAS) beamformer was also implemented (the itDMAS algorithm). Both algorithms were used to reconstruct images from experimental scans of an array of 3D-printed MRI-based breast phantoms performed with a clinical BMI system. The signal-to-clutter ratio (SCR) and signal-to-mean ratio (SMR) were used to compare the performance of the itDAS and itDMAS methods to the DAS and DMAS beamformers. While no significant difference between the itDAS and itDMAS methods was observed in most images, the itDAS algorithm produced reconstructions that had significantly higher SMR than the non-iterative methods, increasing contrast by as much as 19 dB over DAS and 13 dB over DMAS. The itDAS algorithm also increased the SCR of reconstructions by up to 5 dB over DAS and 4 dB over DMAS, indicating that both high-intensity and background clutter are reduced in images reconstructed by the itDAS algorithm.

Healthy Beliefs regarding Breast Cancer Screening in Iranian Women Health Volunteers: A Path Analysis.

BackgroundIn Iran, 82% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in late stages, resulting in low survival rates. In the present study, the Stages of Change Theory and Health Belief Model were used as theoretical frameworks for assessing Women Health Volunteer readiness to act on different breast cancer screening behaviors.MethodsA total of 1,410 Women Health Volunteers were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. The breast self-examination (BSE) and mammography stages of change were measured independently. A standardized questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model was used to assess their beliefs about breast cancer screening methods. A path analysis using PASW SPSS ver. 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used to test the effects of individual beliefs on breast cancer screening stages of change.ResultsMost participants were classified in the pre-contemplation stage of breast cancer screening behaviors. Perceived barriers, benefits, and susceptibility emerged as BSE stages of change predictors. No beliefs were significant mammography stages of change predictors.ConclusionIranian Women Health Volunteers had a very low adherence to common BSE and mammography practices. Healthy beliefs have a strong association with the stages of change for performing BSE, but not for mammography. The impact of health beliefs on an individual’s readiness to act on different breast cancer screening methods may vary with respect to the type of screening method.

Breast Cancer Awareness and Detection of Asymptomatic Cases Using Breast Palpation and Fine-needle Aspiration in Bafoussam, Cameroon

Background: Breast cancer, the deadliest cancer in women worldwide, is often diagnosed at late stage in Cameroon, with high mortality and dire socioeconomic consequences. We investigated the reasons for breast cancer late diagnosis in Cameroon. Methods: Women (412) were randomly recruited in various locations in the city of Bafoussam, West Region, Cameroon. They self-administered a questionnaire assessing breast cancer awareness. Then, they underwent breast palpation, followed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) when a nodule was found. Results: 65% of the study participants were above 30 years; 80.9% had at least a secondary education; 94.4% had heard about breast cancer and the main source of information was the media (57.3%). Most participants were either uninformed or ill-informed (up to 72%) about breast cancer risk factors, signs, and screening methods, in particular breast self-examination (BSE). Of the 17 women with nodules and other suspect signs, only 6 accepted fine needle aspiration (FNA). Three of the 6 had malignant nodules indicative of Invasive ductal carcinoma low grade (one case) and high grade (2 cases).Conclusions: Women living in Bafoussam are poorly aware of breast cancer screening methods, in particular BSE, and of the importance of early detection. BSE followed by FNA in women with nodules is a simple, yet good screening method to improve early detection and reduce the burden of breast cancer.

Metabolite profiling of human blood by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for surgery assessment and tumor screening in breast cancer.

Mammography, a standard screening method for breast cancer, is effective for reducing the rate of death; however, it suffers from frequent false positive alarm and radiation risk. Besides, surgery treatment has a vital impact on the clinical outcomes of breast cancer, offering enormous benefits for breast cancer care and management. In this work, we analyzed the peripheral blood sample from breast cancer patients with pre- and post-surgery and healthy volunteers using label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy technology based on silver nanoparticles. Results showed that distinct patterns of blood belonging to specific subjects could be profiled, and corresponding accuracies of 95% and 100% were achieved by multivariate diagnostic algorithm for pre-surgery vs. post-surgery and pre-surgery vs. normal groups, respectively, providing a unique blood analysis method for surgery evaluation as well as tumor screening in breast cancer. Graphical abstract.

Breast self-examination among female clients in a tertiary hospital in Eastern Uganda

BackgroundBreast self-examination is a widely accepted, inexpensive and non-complex screening method for breast cancer because it does not entail complex technical training and therefore a more practical approach in a resource limited setting. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among female clients at Mbale Regional Referral hospital. MethodsA cross sectional study employing qualitative and quantitative methods was carried out among 386 women selected by simple random sampling. Data was analyzed using SPSS v 16.0 and presented in tables. Univariate and bivariate analysis was done and a P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant while the results with a P-value ≤ 0.2 were considered for multivariate analysis. ResultsBoth the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among the participants in this study were low. Less than 50% of the participants had ever heard about breast self-examination. Only 24% of those who had ever heard about breast self-examination correctly reported that it should be done monthly. Both knowledge and practice of breast self-examination were associated with living in the urban setting, high level of education, occupation and religion. ConclusionThere was limited knowledge about breast self-examination among women in Mbale Regional Referral Hospital and this corresponds with the low practice of the same. Only a few participants reported practicing breast self-examination monthly.

The relationship of socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of breast cancer on stage of behavioral adoption of breast self-examination.

Background/aimIn Malaysia, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. As such, early diagnosis and screening practices are important to increase the survival rate. Breast self-examination (BSE) is one of the main screening methods for breast cancer. Socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of breast cancer are amongst the crucial roles in determining women's behavioral adoption in performing BSE. This study aims to assess the relationship of socio-demographic factors and knowledge of breast cancer on the stage of behavioral adoption of BSE among Malaysian women in Kuantan, Pahang.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 520 women from three different government health clinics in Kuantan and IIUM Family Health Clinic from February to April 2018. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire on socio-demographic factors and knowledge of breast cancer and its effect on the behavioral adoption of BSE.ResultsSignificant difference was found between socio-demographic characteristics and behavioral adoption of BSE. However, only breast screening and the best time for screening were found to be significant with the behavioral adoption of BSE and knowledge of breast cancer.ConclusionIt is found that most women in Kuantan, Pahang perform BSE but were still unaware of the importance of performing BSE for early breast cancer detection. This study was expected to enhance women's awareness of the benefits of performing BSE.

&lt;p&gt;Breast Self-Examination Practice and Associated Factors Among Secondary School Female Teachers in Gammo Gofa Zone, Southern, Ethiopia&lt;/p&gt;

IntroductionNowadays, breast self-examination (BSE) is a breast cancer screening method that identifies breast mass by the woman herself. However, it is not widely practiced due to various problems. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of BSE practice and associated factors among female secondary school teachers in Gammo Gofa Zone, South Ethiopia.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 247 female secondary school teachers, from March 1 to 30, 2018. Participants were selected using the lottery method. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were cleaned, coded, and entered into Epi data manager 4.4 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Binary logistic regression was employed.ResultsOf 82 respondents, 34.3% had ever performed BSE. Among these, only 32 (13.4%) had practiced BSE monthly (regularly). Being knowledgeable on BSE [AOR=2.84, 95% CI (1.41, 5.72)], ever heard about BSE [AOR=2.26, 95% CI (1.07, 4.77)], being married [AOR=4.09, 95% CI (1.64, 10.22)], having less perceived barrier to BSE [AOR=2.62, 95% CI (1.26, 5.46)], having high perceived confidence [AOR=3.63, 95% CI (1.79, 7.39)] and motivation to BSE [AOR=3.29, 95% CI (1.15, 9.45)] were significant predictors of BSE practice.ConclusionIn this study, one in three women had ever practiced BSE, whereas about one in seven women regularly practiced BSE. The main reasons for not practicing BSE were: not knowing how to perform BSE and forgetfulness (for regular practice). Therefore, integrated work on behavioral change communication and interferences that focus on improving knowledge of BSE, and skills on how to perform BSE is needed. Additionally, the identified domains of the health belief model (perceived barrier, perceived confidence, and perceived motivation) may be the most effective strategies that should be considered by Gammo Gofa Zonal health and educational offices.