IMPACT OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS PROGRAMMES ON THE PREVENTION OF BREAST CANCER AMONGST NIGERIAN WOMEN

IMPACT OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS PROGRAMMES ON THE PREVENTION OF BREAST CANCER AMONGST NIGERIAN WOMEN

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy and the leading cause of cancer death in women globally, with an estimated 1,384,155 new cases diagnosed in 2008. [1] Breast cancer’s global frequency is still increasing[2, 3], and it is now seen as a growing public health concern among populations in low- and middle-income nations.

Furthermore, a recent population-based research of cancer survival in Africa, Asia, and Central America discovered unacceptably poor breast cancer survival rates in African countries, particularly in Gambia, where the 5-year age-standardized relative survival did not exceed 12%. [4]

Breast cancer has been highlighted as the main cause of death worldwide

(1, 2). Every year, more than a million new instances of breast cancer are diagnosed, resulting in approximately 875,000 deaths, with developing nations having the highest mortality rates

(3). Breast cancer was reported to account for 56.6% of all cancer diagnoses in Nigeria from 1995 to 2002

(4). The disease’s prevalence has grown, and affected women frequently arrive in hospitals after it has progressed to an advanced stage. Its cure at this point is highly jeopardised; the low survival rate has been connected to late identification and diagnosis

(6). Cancer is a disease that develops when aberrant cells are transformed due to a genetic mutation in the cellular Deoxyribonuleic acids (DNA)

(7). Breast cancer does not cause pain or discomfort in its early stages. It typically presents as a painless breast lump. There are several risk factors that can influence a woman’s susceptibility to the disease(3).

Aside from poverty, low public knowledge of breast cancer is a barrier to breast cancer control in low- and middle-income countries, where women seek medical attention late and malignancies are frequently identified at later stages, with little curative treatment available.

The Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) panel[5, 6] has identified implementation techniques to improve breast cancer management in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including health-care systems, breast cancer diagnosis, therapy, and early detection.

Early detection requires increased community awareness. Civil society, as represented by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), can play a significant role in breast cancer prevention. [7]

In Ghana, 2,062 new breast cancer cases and 1,137 breast cancer deaths were estimated per year (16.5% of all female cancer deaths), with age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of 25.8 and 15.2 per 100,000 women, respectively (Globocan 2008).

[1] Sixty percent of cases were discovered at later stages (IIB, III, and IV). [8] The current data on median age are sparse and primarily hospital-based. Clegg-Lamptey et al. found a median age of 43 years at diagnosis in a group of 66 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

The age range was wide, spanning 20 to 84 years. [8] Surgery remains the primary treatment for breast cancer in the country[9], and, as in other African countries, some cultural beliefs and mysticism surround the disease. [10].

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

To date, little research has been conducted on the impact of awareness programs in breast cancer control in Nigeria, particularly at the community level in rural areas. As a result, there is a need to evaluate the impact of breast cancer awareness programs on the prevention of breast cancer among Nigerian women.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The study’s primary goal is to determine the impact of breast cancer awareness campaigns on breast cancer prevention among Nigerian women.

1.4 Research questions.

(1) What is Breast Cancer?

(2) How can it be prevented?

(3) What impact do breast cancer awareness campaigns have on the incidence of breast cancer?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Our study sought to analyse the impact of breast cancer awareness programs on the prevention of breast cancer in Nigerian women.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study focusses on the impact of breast cancer awareness programs on the prevention of breast cancer among Nigerian women.