Knowledge About Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer, and Breast Cancer Risks Among Syrian Immigrants and Turkish...

Cancer affects people regardless of being native or immigrants from developing countries. The most common form of cancer amongst displaced and immigrant women is breast cancer. This study provided a cultural comparison of early diagnosis, screening and breast cancer risks among Syrian immigrants and Turkish citizens in Turkey.

The study was performed with a descriptive, comparative and cross-sectional design with 589 women (Turkish=302, Syrian=287). A Personal Information Form and Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Form were used for data collection.

The knowledge of Syrian immigrant women and behavior regarding breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and screening with a mammogram were significantly lower than those of Turkish women (p<0.05). In addition, Syrian women's information about general breast cancer early diagnosis and screening was poorer. However, the mean breast cancer risk score was higher in Turkish women (p<0.05).

The data highlighted the importance of understanding locally specific barriers to breast cancer screening among immigrants and developing national programs to increase cancer education as a means of prevention.