nach oben

Erschienen in:

01.06.2010 | Original paper

Australian women’s awareness of breast cancer symptoms and responses to potential symptoms

verfasst von: Sandra C. Jones, Parri Gregory, Caroline Nehill, Lance Barrie, Karen Luxford, Anne Nelson, Helen Zorbas, Don Iverson

Erschienen in: Cancer Causes & Control | Ausgabe 6/2010

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Abstract

Objectives

Poor awareness of breast cancer symptoms has been associated with patient delay in seeking help; thus reduced survival, more aggressive treatment, and fewer treatment choices. The aim of this study was to develop a representative picture of Australian women’s knowledge of symptoms, experienced potential symptoms, and behavioral responses.

Methods

A general population sample of approximately 3,000 women aged 30–69 completed a telephone survey; results were compared to previous surveys conducted in 1996 and 2003.

Results

The most commonly cited potential symptom of breast cancer was a lump in the breast, identified by 86% of respondents (an increase from 75% in 2003). Other commonly mentioned symptoms were discharge from the nipple, pain/soreness, skin puckering, or dimpling; and a change in breast shape. The proportion unable to name any potential symptoms of breast cancer decreased from one in ten in 2003 to approximately one in twenty in 2007. The primary reason for not seeking medical advice in response to a potential symptom was the belief that breast cancer was not present.

Conclusions

Health promotion efforts need to continue to aim at increasing community understanding of potential breast cancer symptoms and encouraging women to act on potential symptoms by seeking medical advice.

In February 2008, National Breast Cancer Centre (NBCC) changed its name to National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC).

The weight used for the ith respondent to the survey was \( w_{i} = {\frac{{N_{a}}}{N}}\,{\frac{n}{{n_{a}}}} \), where a denotes the weighting class, and N and n denote the relevant population benchmarks and sample sizes, respectively.

It is important to note that respondents were not asked the date they experienced the symptom, so this will include those whose symptom was first noticed weeks or days prior to completing the survey.

Boyle P (2005) Breast cancer control: signs of progress, but more work required. Breast 14(6):429–438CrossRefPubMed

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare & National Breast Cancer Centre (2007) Breast cancer survival by size and nodal status in Australia. Cancer series no. 39. Cat. no. CAN 34. AIHW, Canberra

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare & National Breast Cancer Centre (2006) Breast cancer in Australia: an overview. Cancer series no. 34. Cat. No. CAN 29. AIHW, Canberra

Hill D, Jamrozik K, White V et al (1999) Surgical management of breast cancer in Australia in 1995. NHMRC National Breast Cancer Centre, Sydney

Pit S, Cockburn J, Zorbas H (1999) Investigation of a new breast symptom: an audit in general practice. National Breast Cancer Centre, Sydney

National Breast Cancer Centre (2006) The investigation of a new breast symptom: a guide for general practitioners. National Breast Cancer Centre, Sydney

Schofield PE, Cockburn J, Hill DJ, Reading D (1994) Encouraging attendance at a screening mammography programme: determinants of response to different recruitment strategies. J Med Screen 1:144–149PubMed

Sutton S, Bickler G, Sancho-Aldridge J, Saidi G (1994) Prospective study of predictors of attendance for breast screening in inner London. J Epidemiol Community Health 48(1):65–73CrossRefPubMed

Irwig L, Cockburn J, Turnbull D, Simpson JM, Mock P, Tattersall M (1991) Women’s perceptions of screening mammography [published erratum appears in Aust J Public Health; 15:83]. Aust J Public Health 15:24–32PubMed

10.

Waller J, McCaffery K, Wardle J (2004) Measuring cancer knowledge: comparing prompted and unprompted recall. Br J Psychol 95(2):219–234CrossRefPubMed

11.

Grunfeld EA, Ramirez AJ, Hunter MS, Richards MA (2002) Women’s knowledge and beliefs regarding breast cancer. Br J Cancer 86:1373–1378CrossRefPubMed

12.

McMenamin M, Barry H, Lennon A, Purcell H, Baum M, Keegan D (2005) A survey of breast cancer awareness and knowledge in a Western population: lots of light but little illumination. Eur J Cancer 41(3):393–397CrossRefPubMed

13.

Jones SC, Iverson D, Steel D, Zorbas H, Nehill C, Villaneuva E (2005) NBCC 2003 breast health survey technical report. National Breast Cancer Centre, Sydney

14.

Pullyblank AM, Cawthorn SJ, Dixon AR (2002) Knowledge of cancer symptoms among patients attending one-stop breast and rectal bleeding clinics. Eur J Surg Oncol 28(5):511–515CrossRefPubMed

15.

Facione NC, Miaskowski C, Dodd MJ, Paul SM (2002) The self-reported likelihood of patient delay in breast cancer: new thoughts for early detection. Prev Med 34(4):397–407CrossRefPubMed

16.

Grunfeld EA, Hunter MS, Ramirez AJ, Richards MA (2003) Perceptions of breast cancer across the lifespan. J Psychosom Res 54(2):141–146CrossRefPubMed

17.

Barratt A, Cockburn J, Lowe J, Paul C, Perkins J, Redman S (1997) Report on the 1996 breast health survey. National Breast Cancer Centre, Sydney

18.

Nosarti C, Crayford T, Roberts JV, Elias E, McKenzie K, David AS (2000) Delay in presentation of symptomatic referrals to a breast clinic: patient and system factors. Br J Cancer 82(3):742–748CrossRefPubMed

19.

Facione NC, Dodd MJ (1995) Women’s narratives of helpseeking for breast cancer. Cancer Pract 3(4):219–225PubMed

20.

Bilimoria MM, Morrow M (1995) The woman at increased risk for breast cancer: evaluation and management strategies. CA Cancer J Clin 45(5):263–278CrossRefPubMed

21.

Arndt V, Stürmer T, Stegmaier C, Ziegler H, Dhom G, Brenner H (2001) Socio-demographic factors, health behavior and late-stage diagnosis of breast cancer in Germany: a population-based study. J Clin Epidemiol 54(7):719–727CrossRefPubMed

22.

Richardson JL, Langholz B, Bernstein L, Burciaga C, Danley K, Ross RK (1992) Stage and delay in breast cancer diagnosis by race, socioeconomic status, age and year. Br J Cancer 65:922–926PubMed

23.

Neave LM, Mason BH, Kay RG (1990) Does delay in diagnosis of breast cancer affect survival? Breast Cancer Res Treat 15:103–108CrossRefPubMed

24.

Rossi S, Cinini C, Di-Pietro C, Lombardi CP, Crucitti A, Bellantone R (1990) Diagnostic delay in breast cancer: correlation with disease stage and prognosis. Tumori 76:559–562PubMed

25.

Richards MA, Westcombe AM, Love SB, Littlejohns P, Ramirez AJ (1999) Influence of delay on survival in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review. Lancet 353:1119–1126CrossRefPubMed

26.

Freeman HP, Wasfie TJ (1989) Cancer in the breast of poor black women. Cancer 63:2562–2569CrossRefPubMed

27.

Katz SJ, Hislop G, Thomas DB, Larson EB (1993) Delay from symptom to diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Washington State and British Columbia. Med Care 31(3):264–268CrossRefPubMed

28.

Facione NC (1993) Delay versus help seeking for breast cancer symptoms: a critical review of the literature on patient and provider delay. Soc Sci Med 36(12):1521–1534CrossRefPubMed

29.

Ramirez AJ, Westcombe AM, Burgess CC, Sutton S, Littlejohns P, Richards MA (1999) Factors predicting delayed presentation of symptomatic breast cancer: a systematic review. Lancet 353:1127–1131CrossRefPubMed

30.

Vernon SW, Tilley BC, Neale AV, Steinfeldt L (1985) Ethnicity, survival, and delay in seeking treatment for symptoms of breast cancer. Cancer 55:1563–1571CrossRefPubMed

31.

Mandelblatt J, Kanetsky PA (1995) Effectiveness of interventions to enhance physician screening for breast cancer. J Fam Pract 40(2):162–171PubMed

32.

Harirchi I, Ghaemmaghami F, Karbakhsh M, Moghimi R, Mazaherie H (2005) Patient delay in women presenting with advanced breast cancer: an Iranian study. Public Health 119:885–891CrossRefPubMed

33.

Bish A, Ramirez A, Burgess C (2005) Understanding why women delay in seeking help for breast cancer symptoms. J Psychosom Res 58(4):321–326CrossRefPubMed

34.

Facione NC, Facione PA (2006) The cognitive structuring of patient delay in breast cancer. Soc Sci Med 63:3137–3149CrossRefPubMed

35.

Burgess C, Hunter MS, Ramirez AJ (2001) A qualitative study of delay among women reporting symptoms of breast cancer. Br J Gen Pract 51:967–971PubMed

36.

Meechan G, Collins J, Petrie KJ (2003) The relationship of symptoms and psychological factors to delay in seeking medical care for breast symptoms. Prev Med 36(3):374–378CrossRefPubMed

37.

Facione NC, Dodd MJ, Holzemer W, Meleis A (1997) Helpseeking for self-discovered breast symptoms: implications for early detection. Cancer Pract 5(4):220–227PubMed

38.

Barton MB, Elmore JG, Fletcher SW (1999) Breast symptoms among women enrolled in a health maintenance organization: frequency, evaluation, and outcome. Ann Intern Med 130:651–657PubMed

39.

Ader DN, Browne MW (1997) Prevalence and impact of cyclic mastalgia in a United States clinic-based sample. Am J Obstet Gynecol 177(1):126–132CrossRefPubMed

40.

Maddox PR, Mansel RE (1989) Management of breast pain and nodularity. World J Surg 13:699–705CrossRefPubMed

41.

Ader DN, South-Paul J, Adera T, Deuster PA (2001) Cyclical mastalgia: prevalence and associated health and behavioural factors. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 22:71–76CrossRefPubMed

42.

Smith RL, Pruthi S, Fitzpatrick LA (2004) Evaluation and management of breast pain. Mayo Clin Proc 79(3):353–372CrossRefPubMed

43.

Villanueva EV, Jones SC, Nehill C, Favelle S, Steel D, Iverson D (2008) The 2003 Australian breast health survey: survey design and preliminary results. BMC Public Health 8:8–13CrossRef

44.

Paul C, Barratt A, Redman S, Cockburn J, Lowe J (1999) Knowledge and perceptions about breast cancer incidence, fatality and risk among Australian women. Aust N Z J Public Health 23(4):396–400CrossRefPubMed

45.

Lavrakas PJ, Stasny EA, Harpuder B (2000) A further investigation of the last-birthdate respondent selection method and within-unit coverage error. Proceedings of the American Statistical Association, Alexandria

46.

Trewin D (2001) ABS views on remoteness. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra

Titel: Australian women’s awareness of breast cancer symptoms and responses to potential symptoms
verfasst von: Sandra C. Jones
Parri Gregory
Caroline Nehill
Lance Barrie
Karen Luxford
Anne Nelson
Helen Zorbas
Don Iverson
Publikationsdatum: 01.06.2010
Verlag: Springer Netherlands
Erschienen in: Cancer Causes & Control / Ausgabe 6/2010
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Elektronische ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9522-9

Neu im Fachgebiet Onkologie

16.04.2024 | Maligne primäre ZNS-Tumoren | Nachrichten

Springer Medizin

Australian women’s awareness of breast cancer symptoms and responses to potential symptoms

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Neu im Fachgebiet Onkologie

Manche Gestagene können das Risiko für Meningeome erhöhen

Einladung zum PSA-Screening senkt die Krebssterblichkeit

Chemotherapie mit Hindernissen

Das Ende der vollständigen axillären Lymphknotendissektion

Update Onkologie

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um Zugang zu diesem Inhalt zu erhalten

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 6/2010

Spatial Clustering of Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) in the Seattle-Puget Sound Region of Washington State

Intra-individual variation in serum C-reactive protein over 4 years: an implication for epidemiologic studies

Epidemiology of neuroendocrine cancers in an Australian population

Childhood leukaemia and parental occupational exposure to pesticides: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Alcohol and risk of breast cancer in Mexican women

Diabetes and risk of incident cancer: a large population-based cohort study in Israel

Neu im Fachgebiet Onkologie

Manche Gestagene können das Risiko für Meningeome erhöhen

Einladung zum PSA-Screening senkt die Krebssterblichkeit

Chemotherapie mit Hindernissen

Das Ende der vollständigen axillären Lymphknotendissektion

Update Onkologie