Breast Cancer Awareness among Females in a Developing World - A Study from Kashmir

Background: Breast cancer is a major health issue and in developing regions, where the early cancer detection facilities are unavailable awareness about this disease can lead to early detection and thereby potentially decrease the morbidity and mortality. Methods: A self designed questionnaire was used to study the level of awareness regarding breast cancer among 864 Kashmiri females. The questionnaire had 18 questions and on the basis on score attained, the subjects were classified as having poor, average or good breast cancer awareness. Results: Out of 864 participants, 703(81.37%) had poor breast cancer awareness and 103(11.92%) had average awareness. Only 58(6.71%) had good awareness about breast cancer. Conclusion: The level of awareness regarding breast cancer in Kashmiri females is very low and there is a need to spread awareness about this disease among the general population