Evaluation of Breast Cancer Risk, Fear and Knowledge Levels and their Effect on Examination Behaviors

Abstract

This study is aimed to evaluate the risk of breast cancer (BC) by using the Gail risk model (GRM), assess the fear of BC, determine the knowledge level of BC and show how they affect examination behaviors. This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out at the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine. Survey forms were filled out by 241 women who were 35 years or older. Survey forms include general information about the participant, the BC fear scale (BCFS) to assess the fear of BC, GRM-related questions to evaluate BC risk and the comprehensive breast cancer knowledge level test (CBCKLT) to determine the knowledge level of BC. According to the GRM score, 79 (33%) of the participants were found to have a high 5-year risk of BC. There was no statistically significant correlation between the GRM score and the BC fear or knowledge level of the participants (p>0.05). According to BCFS classification, the fear level of 47 (20%) participants was low, 51 (21%) moderate, and 143 (59%) high, and as the knowledge level of the participants increased, their fear of BC statistically significantly increased (r=0.139; p=0.031). The total score of CBCKLT was 7.39±1.75, the general knowledge sub-dimension score was 5.63±1.60, treatability sub-dimension score was 13.02±2.52. As the education level of the participants increased, their BC knowledge level increased (p=0.003). Moreover, participants who had clinical breast examination (CBE) were statistically significant and had higher BC knowledge levels than those who did not (p=0.030). In this study, there was no statistically significant correlation between the GRM score and BC fear levels or BC knowledge levels. Additionally, as the BC knowledge level of the participants increased, their fear of BC increased. Moreover, as it is expected, as the education level of the participants increased, their BC knowledge level increased, and the knowledge levels of BC have a role in increasing CBE.