The level of knowledge and awareness about prostate cancer in the Turkish male and the relevant effective factors

Abstract

Objective: Our aim was to determine the general knowledge and awareness levels, information sources, and the state of medical check-up for prostate cancer (PCa) and relevant effective factors. Material and methods:The participants were asked to answer to 14 questions of a questionnaire about age, education, economic and social condition, knowledge about PCa, state of being examined and their related factors. According to demographic characteristics of the participants, levels of awareness about PCa, sources of information, affecting factors and their interrelationships were examined. Two groups were formed according to age (<60 years, >60 years) and variations according to ages were investigated.Results: Two hundred and ninety-three men with an average age of 57 years (range 40-85) were included in the study. Our findings showed that 68.3% of the participants were thinking that PCa is a frequently seen disease, 88.4% were thinking that it can be treated and 62.8% of men specified that their information sources are doctors. We also found that 60.8% of the participants had not undergone prostate examination and prostate specific antigen (PSA) control. The most reason for not having annual examinations was (44.4%) "negligence". Significantly greater number of men with higher education (high school/university) were highly informed about PCa (p=0.037). Check-up rates were statistically significantly higher among men with intermediate income (p=0.041). Curability of PCa diagnosed at an early stage was acknowledged by statistically higher number of individuals under the age 60 (p<0.05). Health control, prostate examination and/or PSA control rates were higher in men with a family history of PCa and in the group of >60 years. Conclusion:Although PCa has a high prevalence and mortality rates, personal and social information and sensitivity levels must be increased as it can be treated if diagnosed at an early stage. We think that social and medical impact of the disease can be decreased with the planning of effective methods based on sociocultural and economic factors.

Awareness about prostate cancer and its screening in Medina, Jeddah, and Makkah, Saudi Arabia population

“…As noted in our study and previous ones, sociodemographics and educational levels have been found to positively impact awareness and overall knowledge of PCa. [ 15 22 28 ] Surprisingly, only 15.9% of our participants who have a positive family history of PCa had good knowledge. This lack of knowledge of PCa necessitates putting efforts into educating men for decision-making regarding PCa screening activities.…”

“…[ 14 ] Moreover, a study done in Turkey showed that 88.4% of the participant know that PCa is a treatable disease if diagnosed early. [ 15 ] Another study in 2017 in Italy showed that 82.1% of participants informed them that they heard about PCa previously, and 31.8% of them have heard about PCa from a doctor. [ 16 ]…”

Prostate cancer knowledge and barriers to screening among men at risk in northern Tanzania: A community-based study

“…Contrarily, our findings differ from those in Kenya and South Africa, in which ever- screened rates of 5 % and 3.3 %, respectively, have been reported [ 29 , 41 ]. In addition, Turkan et al [ 45 ] in Turkey noted that only 60.8 % of their study participants did not have a medical checkup for Pca in the past 2 years. The observed differences could be due to multiple factors, including difference in screening modality; the South African study focused on the use of PSA, whereas in the index study, we focused on both PSA and DRE.…”

“…Similar findings have been reported by other studies conducted in Africa and elsewhere [ 32 , 42 , 43 ]. Contrarily, Turkan et al [ 45 ] in Turkey noted that majority of men did not undergo screening due to negligence (44 %), with only 18.4 % mentioning not knowing about the need for screening, and no one reporting financial difficulties as a barrier. All these factors may contribute to the low screening rate seen in Tanzanian men.…”

Evaluation of the Relationship between the Levels of Knowledge about Prostate Cancer and the Anxiety-Depression Scale of Adult Individuals in Four Different Provinces of T&#252;rkiye

“…It was determined that the incidence rate is 6.1 per 100,000 and the mortality rate is of 3.8 per 100,000 among Turkish men [1]. Digital rectal examination (DRE) and the biochemical Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test are used to screen for prostate cancer [3]. Unlike other types of cancer, most prostate cancers progress slowly; thus, the likelihood of treatment increases when diagnosed early.…”