Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening Tools in a Cohort of Urban Indian Women

Breast cancer has the highest incidence and mortality rate in India. Early detection of Breast cancer has better survival chances and reduces treatment costs. Breast cancer screening involves Breast Self-Examination (BSE), Clinical Breast Examination (CBE), and Mammography. The highest burden of breast cancer has been observed in metropolitan cities. So it becomes crucial to assess breast cancer awareness and screening practices among urban women. Moreover, currently, there is a significant gap in the literature concerning the barriers that affect screening practices amongst Indian women.

We conducted a survey-based, cross-sectional study on urban Indian women living in Uttar Pradesh. Women for this study were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire which included the socio-demographic variables (address, age, occupation, education level, marital status) of the participants and cancer and cancer screening-related questions.

612 urban women in Uttar Pradesh, India participated in our study. Most were married (96%) and unemployed (59%). Approximately 76% had received education at the high school level or higher, while only 19% had health insurance. The participants' ages ranged from 30 to 70 years, with a mean age of 41 years ± 8.25 years).

Our study revealed high breast cancer awareness among participants but disparities in screening awareness based on age, marital status, insurance, and education. Most women have a positive attitude towards breast cancer screening, recognizing its importance for early detection. This attitude can drive participation if barriers are addressed, including knowledge gaps, symptom ignorance, shyness, financial constraints, and a lack of female doctors.