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Intensive awareness efforts by the health authorities to fight breast cancer in the country are yielding positive results, a study has found.
The findings of the study ‘Breast Cancer Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices amongst Women in Qatar’ indicate an improvement in the knowledge and practices of breast cancer in Qatar, although there is significant room for improvement.
The study said high response to an invitation from the Breast Cancer Screening Service in the country is a remarkable improvement.
The study has examined knowledge of symptoms and warning signs, awareness of risk factors of breast cancer, and barriers to seeking medical help amongst women in Qatar.
It was conducted among women aged above 18 and registered with the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC).
They were invited to complete an Arabic or English online survey using a modified version of the Breast Cancer Awareness Module.
PHCC is offering a population-based screening to entire eligible target population who are invited to routine screening at a specific screening interval. Breast Cancer Screening Service is provided to the target population by performing a mammogram test which is used for breast cancer detection. In case of any abnormal mammography reading, the participant is referred to Hamad Medical Corporation for further assessment.
According to the study, among the women receiving an invitation for Breast Cancer Screening, 94 percent attended screening, indicating that the Breast Cancer Screening (BCS) invitation is a remarkably effective means of improving screening uptake.
Among the 9,008 participants, 69 percent reported awareness of breast cancer warning signs. “However, there remains a disconnection between participants’ perceived awareness of their ability to detect breast cancer and their actual recognition of individual signs and symptoms,” according to the study published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Nearly half of the respondents (45.4 percent) reported rarely or never checking their breasts for abnormalities. Breast self-examination (BSE) and BCS uptake is low and many are unaware of the starting age for invitation to Qatar’s BCS programme.
“Broadening awareness campaigns and interventions targeting a broader audience including males, community and religious leaders and healthcare professionals may prove more effective in Arab communities,” the study said.
The Breast Cancer Screening program is being conducted under Qatar’s National Cancer Program and in accordance with the Qatar National Health Strategy, which aims to reduce the burden of cancer in Qatar whilst ensuring that where cancer services are required, they are among the best in the world to facilitate improved cancer outcomes.
Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in Qatar, accounting for 31 percent of cancer cases in women. The risk of women in the population developing breast cancer is 56 per 100,000 according to Qatar Cancer Registry. Both women and men can however be affected by breast cancer.
