Awareness and Early Detection of Ante Natal Clinic Attendees towards Breast Cancer at a Tertiary Hospital in South – South Nigeria

Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death globally in women between 44 – 50 years. As a result of poor awareness, late presentation is often times common amongst women with breast cancer in developing countries of the world as such outcome is poor.

Aim: To determine the awareness and early detection of ante natal clinic attendees towards breast cancer at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of ANC attendees at the RSUTH. Simple randomized sampling method was used. A structured pre-test survey questionnaire The information was analyzed using SPSS version 25.

Results: A total of 180 questionnaires were distributed and 176 questionnaires retrieved. The mean gestational age was 32.4 years. The modal parity was 1. With respect to the educational level, tertiary were 129 (73.3%), secondary 43 (24.4%) and primary 4 (2.3%). Those aware of breast cancer were 159 (90.3%). Means of information by the subjects for breast cancer prevention were media 96 (54.6%), hospital 39 (22.0%), religious house 3 (3.8%) and others 38 (19.6%) Antenatal mothers who carried out self breast examination for detection of breast lumps were 95 (54%). Subjects who were aware of mammogram were 42 (23.9%) while those who had mammogram in the past were 2 (1.1%). ANC attendees who had family history of breast cancer were 7 (4%). The relationship between breast cancer awareness and educational status were as follows, tertiary 123 (69.9%), secondary 34 (19.3%), primary 2 (1.1%).

Conclusion: Though the level of breast cancer awareness was high 90.3%. Self breast examination for early detection of breast cancer was above average (54%), while the use of mammogram for early detection of breast cancer was still not encouraging represented by 1.1% of the respondents. The media was the commonest medium of awareness for the prevention of breast cancer represented by 54.6% of the ante natal clinic attendees.