Effectiveness of a Breast Cancer Educational Conference Targeting Healthcare Workers in Honduras

Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated that many healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) lack the appropriate training and knowledge to recognize and diagnose breast cancer at an early stage. As a result, women in LMICs are frequently diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer (Stage III/IV) with a poor prognosis. Materials and Methods: We hosted a 1-day breast cancer educational conference directed towards healthcare workers in Honduras. We conducted pre- and postcourse (1-2 months later) assessments that evaluated knowledge of screening, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. Breast cancer specialists at the University of Minnesota and Honduras developed a 12-question assessment tool in Spanish. Results: A total of 157 people attended the course, and 86 completed the precourse knowledge assessment. The overall percentage of correct responses was 70% in the precourse assessment. Postcourse knowledge assessments were completed by 94 participants. The overall percentage of correct responses was 80% in the postcourse assessment and was significantly higher than precourse assessment scores (p < 0.0001). For the individual domains of screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the postcourse knowledge assessment scores were significantly improved as compared with the precourse scores (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: In this study, we found that a 1-day, in-person breast cancer educational course directed towards healthcare workers in Honduras resulted in improved breast cancer knowledge assessment scores. Future research and implementation strategies will include training healthcare workers throughout Honduras and determining the impact of these educational interventions on the late-stage presentation of breast cancer.