Enhancing Breast Cancer Awareness and Self-Examination Skills among Young Women: Impact of Educational Workshops

Abstract

Background: The most prevalent cancer in the world is breast cancer, a form of cancer in women; its incidence is rising in a number of nations. Breast self-examination is a basic and straightforward method for women to discover breast changes. Early detection of this malignant disease whether by monthly self-examination, annual mammography or BRCA testing, has a crucial role in treatment effectiveness which is considered typically a multimodal approach.

Objective: The purpose of this research is to identify the effects of breast cancer awareness workshops on female students. We evaluated the participants' breast cancer knowledge and breast self-examination skills prior to and following the workshop using a set of questionnaires developed for the study.

Methodology: We conducted a quasi-experimental study. We assessed the participants' understanding of breast cancer and their proficiency in performing breast self-examinations (BSE) prior to and following the workshop using a collection of surveys specifically designed for the study.

Results: This study of 200 female medical students found mixed initial awareness of breast cancer symptoms and risk factors, with significant improvements post-workshop. Knowledge of symptoms like lumps and risk factors such as age, obesity, and high-fat diets increased notably. Attitudes toward breast self-examination also improved after educational intervention.

Conclusion: The implementation of public awareness strategies is crucial to overcoming the growing burden of breast cancer. Based on the research's results, we believe that private and public schools in Al-Madina should provide regular workshops in regard to breast self-examination and breast cancer for female students for the purpose of expanding their understanding, confidence, and ability to teach other females about early diagnosis of breast cancer.