Assessment of Pre-Diagnosis Awareness and Practice of Mammography Screening among Women with Breast Cancer at Medserve-Luth Cancer Centre (MLCC)

Background: The most common malignancy and leading cancer-related death in women globally is breast cancer, including Sub-Saharan Africa. Over 60% of Nigerian patients present late due to lack of awareness and utilization of mammography screening. This study assessed prediagnosis awareness and practice of mammography screening in breast cancer patients at the MEDSERVE-LUTH Cancer Centre.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 196 breast cancer patients at the MEDSERVE-LUTH Cancer Centre. Structured questionnaires for socio-demographic factors, awareness about mammography, knowledge and practice of BSE, and health-seeking attitudes were employed for data collection. Data analysis was done using SPSS v27, and descriptive statistics was employed.
Results: Participant's mean age was 43.6 ± 10.2 years. Mammography screening awareness before diagnosis was known to only 10.1%, the most common sources being family/friends (3.5%) and social media (4%). Only 2% had undergone mammography before diagnosis, whereas most patients (93.4%) knew BSE. The most common source of discovering the breast lumps was by BSE in 66.2% of patients, and only 8.1% by mammography. Cultural and religious opinions (7.1%), expense (1.5%), and distance (1%) were some of the barriers to the use of mammography. Despite low awareness, 89.4% believed it would have made detection possible earlier, and 97.5% expressed a willingness to persuade others to undergo screening.
Conclusion: Awareness and use of mammography among Nigerian breast cancer patients remain very low, despite the major usage of breast self-examination as the first and only method of detection. There is a need for intervention involving health education, utilization of health professionals, cost control, and increased access to mammography to enhance earlier diagnosis and survival.

Breast cancer, Mammography, Awareness, Prediagnosis, Early detection, Nigeria

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