Prospective analysis of the long-term effect of teaching breast self-examination and breast awareness

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the industrialized world and a leading cause of death. Breast self-examination (BSE) is one of the methods for an early detection of breast cancer. In the present study the effectiveness of a campaign promoting BSE and breast awareness was analysed. Seminars were conducted in 2003 in Lower Saxony, Germany by a female gynaecologist and a social pedagogue and included a lecture, an individual training in BSE in a separate room and a talk about the importance of regular BSEs. Questionnaires were handed out immediately after the seminar and were sent by post 1 year later. Attendance of the seminar resulted in a significantly higher percentage of monthly BSEs (21.4% before vs. 61.9% after the teaching). Furthermore, 92.1% of the women who did not perform a monthly BSE stated that at least they examined their breasts more frequently after attending the seminar. The data demonstrate that the seminars in BSE had profound effects on the compliance of women in carrying out BSE regularly and correctly, without influence of age or education.

Effects of breast cancer and breast self-examination education using breast models on nursing students' knowledge, health beliefs, and compliance

“…The most common breast abnormality that leads young women to a hospital is the presence of a lump in the breast [2]. Breast self-examination (BSE) is a safe and convenient method of breast examination for early detection of breast cancer, and is also highly recommended in the west [3]. In Korea in recent years, women in their twenties and thirties are increasingly more exposed to breast cancer risk factors with increasingly delayed first marriage and first birth as well as increased smoking and drinking in women [4].…”