Do We Need to Maximise the Breast Cancer Screening Awareness?: Experience with an Endogamous Society with High Fertility

Background: In the State of Qatar, breast cancer has become the most common form of cancer amongwomen. The aim of this study was to explore knowledge, attitude and practice about breast cancer and toidentify potential barriers to screening procedures among women.
Methods: This multistage sampling crosssectional survey in primary health care centers and the outpatient department of the Women’s Hospital in theState of Qatar targeted a representative sample of 1,200 Qatari women aged between 30 to 55 years of ageduring the period from December 2008 to April 2009. A total 1,002 subjects (83.5%) consented to participation.Face to face interviews were conducted with a designed questionnaire covering knowledge about breast cancer,attitudes and practices of breast cancer screening. Socio-demographic variables were included.
Results: Themajority of Qatari women demonstrated an adequate knowledge about breast cancer, with a significant relationto education status. Almost three quarters were aware that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.A good proportion knew that nipple retraction (81.2%) and discharge of blood (74.6%) are warning signs. Ofthe studied Qatari women, 24.9% identified breast self examination, 23.3% clinical breast examination (CBE)and 22.5% mammography as methods for detection of breast cancer. The frequently reported barriers amongthe Qatari women were asking any doctor/nurse how to perform breast self examination (57.3%), embarrassmentabout CBE (53.3%) and fear of mammography results (54.9%). Univariate and multivariate logistic regressionanalysis showed that family history, level of education, living in an urban area and having medical check-upswhen healthy were significant predictors for CBE and mammography.
Conclusion: The study findings revealedthat although Qatari women had adequate general knowledge about breast cancer, the screening rates for BSE,CBE and mammography were low, these being performed most frequently by young Qatari women with ahigher level of education.