Knowledge and practice of self-examination among breast cancer patients in Tanzania: A cross-sectional study

In Tanzania, breast cancer (BC) is the second most common cancer among women but is far less common in men. Late-stage diagnosis often occurring due to low levels of BC awareness and low compliance with practice of breast self-examination (BSE) for early BC detection. However, the factors related to BC awareness and performance of regular BSE in Tanzania are unclear. The present study aimed to examine the extent to which several dimensions of BC knowledge are associated with BSE. This was examined through a cross-sectional study of patients who received care at the cancer care centre in the Kilimanjaro region. Multivariable relationships were tested using hierarchical linear regression. A total of 219 BC patients participated in this study, of which 193 (88.1%) were women. The findings revealed limited knowledge of breast cancer among the participants. There were significant correlations between 4 of the 6 knowledge factors and BSE, ranging from r = .16 (knowledge of how to perform BSE) to r = .26 (knowledge of risk factors). In the regression model, significant predictors of performing BSE included knowledge of risk factors (B = 0.06), knowing how often to perform BSE (B = 0.12) and awareness of normal breast appearance (B = 0.20). Surprisingly, there was a negative association between knowledge of signs and symptoms and BSE (B = -0.7). Males were less likely to perform BSE than females (B = 0.75), and BSE performance decreased with age (B = -0.1). In conclusion, education should focus on teaching appropriate BSE methods, the optimal frequency of BSE, and awareness of the appearance of the breast and how a normal breast should feel and look during BSE.