Evaluation of breast cancer symptoms and risk factors in women: the case of Türkiye.
Sümeyye Ahi, Muradiye Karasu Ayata, Merve Seyhan
PMID 41524420WHAT IT FOUND
32.1% of women reported breast cancer symptoms, and 61.5% of symptomatic women did not know how to perform breast self-examination.
Nurses can ask about symptoms and teach self-examination.
Key findings
0132.1% of participants reported breast cancer symptoms, with pain in one breast or armpit the most commonly reported symptom at 28.3%.
0279.7% had participated in breast cancer screening, but 61.4% of those who had not screened said waiting for a doctor appointment took too long.
0361.5% of women with symptoms said they did not know how to perform breast self-examination.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done in one city in Türkiye, so it may not apply elsewhere. Symptoms were self-reported, so recall and reporting bias may have influenced the results. It included only women, so it says nothing about men. Because it was a single descriptive survey, it cannot show that any risk factor caused symptoms. Several risk factors showed no significant difference between women with and without symptoms.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the association between breastfeeding for less than 24 months and reported symptoms as proof that shorter breastfeeding causes breast cancer. The study is a descriptive survey using self-reported symptoms, so it cannot establish cause.