Breast Cancer Awareness and Breast Self-Examination among Undergraduate Medical School Female Students: Kocaeli University-Turkey

Objective: Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Turkey, following cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination (BSE) among undergraduate female medical school students of Kocaeli University. Methods: This study was carried out among 533 female (mean age 21.2 +/- 1.9 years; range 17-28) students in the 2014-2015 educational year. A semi-structured questionnaire with five parts (socio-demographics, anthropometric measurements, individual and familial reproductive and obstetric histories, breast self-examination knowledge and practice frequency, knowledge about breast cancer risk factors) was used. Results: More than half of the students (n=309, 58%) indicated that they had enough information about breast cancer. Main source of information was "Medical School Lectures" (n=330, 61.9%). According to The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Form, all of the students had "low risk / below 200 score". Self-rated breast cancer risk was "0" according to 43(9.1%) students; 40.4% (191/472) of students perceived their risks 50% and over. Mean knowledge score was 13.53 +/- 2.46; 41/533 students had 17/17 points. Breast self-examination was performed "at least monthly" by 128 (57.7%) although 414 (77.7%) of the students declared to know B SE. More than a quarter of the participants (n=165, 30.9%) described BSE and 122 (73.9%) of these descriptions were "sufficient". As for the reasons of "not performing BSE"; 109 of the students reported BSE as "unnecessary". Conclusions: Female medical school students who have low risk scores for breast cancer are knowledgeable about breast cancer but still a considerable part of them refrain BSE.