Table 2.
Questionnaire responses of the adult female population among subjects who had not been diagnosed with breast cancer (Group A, n = 2235) and subjects who had already been diagnosed with breast cancer (Group B, n = 140). Differences in response between the two Groups were assessed. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant (* p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001).
| Questionnaire Items | Group A Women in the General Population (n = 2235) N (%) |
Group B Women with Cancer (n = 140) N (%) |
p-Value, Z |
|---|---|---|---|
| SECTION 1: Knowledge and beliefs about the causes and symptomatology of breast cancer | |||
| Q1. Do you think you are well informed about breast cancer? | |||
| Very | 132 (6%) | 52 (37%) | <0.05 *, −0.316 |
| Quite | 1118 (50%) | 79 (56%) | |
| Little | 898 (40%) | 9 (6%) | |
| Not at all | 87 (4%) | 0 | |
| Q2. Do you think the cause of breast cancer is endocrine? | |||
| No | 372 (17%) | 40 (29%) | <0.001 ***, −3615 |
| Yes | 1863 (83%) | 100 (71%) | |
| Q3. Do you think a cause of breast cancer may be previous breast disease? | |||
| No | 122 (5%) | 17 (12%) | <0.01 **, −3268 |
| Yes | 2213 (95%) | 123 (88%) | |
| Q4. Do you think a cause of breast cancer may be food? | |||
| No | 1136 (51%) | 46 (33%) | <0.001 ***, −3688 |
| Yes | 1099 (49%) | 94 (67%) | |
| Q5. Do you think a cause of breast cancer may be environmental factors and pollution? | |||
| No | 553 (25%) | 27 (19%) | 0.15, −1458 |
| Yes | 1682 (75%) | 113 (81%) | |
| Q6. Do you think a cause of breast cancer may be psychological stress? | |||
| No | 1153 (52%) | 41 (29%) | 0.01 **, −5119 |
| Yes | 1082 (48%) | 99 (71%) | |
| Q7. Do you think breast pain may be a symptom of cancer? | |||
| No | 836 (37%) | 93 (66%) | 0.19, −1811 |
| Yes | 1319 (59%) | 46 (33%) | |
| I don’t know | 80 (4%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Q8. Do you think the presence of a palpable nodule may be a symptom of the tumor? | |||
| No | 713 (32%) | 23 (16%) | <0.01, −4016 |
| Yes | 1452 (65%) | 116 (83%) | |
| I don’t know | 70 (3%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Q9. Do you think that the change in breast shape and size may be a symptom of cancer? | |||
| No | 565 (25%) | 38 (27%) | <0.05 *, −0.306 |
| Yes | 1579 (71%) | 100 (71%) | |
| I don’t know | 91 (4%) | 2 (1%) | |
| Q10. Do you think nipple discharge may be a symptom of the tumor? | |||
| No | 29 (38%) | 39 (28%) | 0.04, −1990 |
| Yes | 45 (59%) | 99 (71%) | |
| I don’t know | 2 (3%) | 2 (1%) | |
| Q11. Do you think that nipple alteration may be a symptom of the tumor? | |||
| No | 597 (27%) | 39 (28%) | 0.19, −1024 |
| Yes | 1548 (69%) | 99 (71%) | |
| I don’t know | 90 (4%) | 2 (1%) | |
| SECTION 2: Knowledge and beliefs about early detection | |||
| Q12. Do you think you are well informed about breast cancer prevention? | |||
| A lot | 123 (6%) | 43 (31%) | <0.05 *, −0.516 |
| Quite | 1062 (48%) | 82 (59%) | |
| Little | 914 (41%) | 12 (9%) | |
| Not at all | 136 (6%) | 3 (2%) | |
| Q13. What does prevention mean to you? | |||
| Carry out periodic checks | 20 (1%) | 0 | 0.20, −1926 |
| Prevention of risk factors and early diagnosis | 2110 (94%) | 128 (91%) | |
| Prevention of complications | 80 (4%) | 11 (8%) | |
| I don’t know | 25 (1%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Q14. If a lump is detected, will treatment be more effective? | |||
| Strongly agree | 670 (30%) | 64 (46%) | <0.05 *, −0.499 |
| Agreed | 920 (41%) | 45 (32%) | |
| In disagreement | 94 (4%) | 3 (2%) | |
| Strongly disagree | 18 (1%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Uncertain | 533 (24%) | 27 (19%) | |
| Q15. Do you consider mammography useful as an act of early detection? | |||
| No | 26 (1%) | 3 (2%) | 0.15, −1124 |
| Yes | 2209 (99%) | 137 (98%) | |
| Q16. What does mammography mean to you? | |||
| Breast self-examination and self-palpation | 28 (1%) | 0 | 0.103, −1926 |
| Ultrasound | 1 (0%) | 0 | |
| Oncologist’s physical examination | 110 (5%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Radiological examination of the breast | 2075 (93%) | 139 (99%) | |
| I don’t know | 21 (1%) | 21 (1%) | |
| Q17. At what age do you think mammography is recommended? | |||
| <20 years old | 37 (2%) | 3 (2%) | 0.05 *, −1972 |
| 20–30 | 479 (21%) | 27 (19%) | |
| 30–40 | 833 (37%) | 65 (46%) | |
| 40–50 | 786 (35%) | 44 (31%) | |
| 50–60 | 80 (4%) | 0 | |
| 60–70 | 2 (0%) | 0 | |
| I don’t know | 18 (1%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Q18. How often do you think mammography is recommended? | |||
| Based on age/familiarity | 7 (0%) | 2 (1%) | 0.15, −1334 |
| More than once a year | 317 (14%) | 11 (8%) | |
| Once a year | 1581 (71%) | 108 (77%) | |
| Every two years | 316 (14%) | 19 (14%) | |
| I don’t know | 14 (1%) | 0 | |
| Q19. Do you consider clinical palpation useful as an act of early detection? | |||
| No | 131 (6%) | 10 (7%) | 0.15, −0.622 |
| Yes | 2104 (94%) | 130 (93%) | |
| Q20. Do you think bilateral ultrasound is useful as an act of early detection? | |||
| No | 226 (10%) | 7 (5%) | <0.05 *, −1972 |
| Yes | 2009 (90%) | 133 (95%) | |
| Q21. Do you think Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is useful as an act of early detection? | |||
| No | 295 (80%) | 1650 (74%) | 0.15, −1366 |
| Yes | 76 (20%) | 585 (26%) | |
| Q22. Do you consider biopsy useful as an act of early detection? | |||
| No | 1501 (67%) | 97 (69%) | 0.15, −0.520 |
| Yes | 734 (33%) | 43 (31%) | |
| Q23. Do you think Computed Tomography (CT) is useful as an act of early detection? | |||
| No | 1699 (76%) | 111 (79%) | 0.15, −0.881 |
| Yes | 536 (24%) | 29 (21%) | |
| Q24. Do you consider blood tests useful as an act of early detection? | |||
| No | 1063 (48%) | 92 (66%) | <0.001 ***, −4168 |
| Yes | 1172 (52%) | 48 (34%) | |
| Q25. Do you consider the interview with the oncologist useful as an act of early detection? | |||
| No | 1226 (55%) | 92 (66%) | <0.01 **, −2508 |
| Yes | 1009 (45%) | 48 (34%) | |
| Q26. Have you ever heard of self-examination? | |||
| No | 65 (3%) | 3 (2%) | 0.66, −0.527 |
| Yes | 2170 (97%) | 137 (98%) | |
| Q27. In your opinion, what does self-examination consist of? | |||
| Breast self-examination | 1840 (82%) | 122 (87%) | 0.11, 851 |
| Clinical examination of the breast (search for visible and/or palpatory findings at the breast and surrounding areas, e.g., lymphatic drainage areas, axilla, neck) | 337 (15%) | 17 (12%) | |
| Breast radiological examination (mammography, ultrasound, MRI, biopsy, chest X-Ray, scintigraphy, CT scan, PET/CT, chest X-Ray) | 24 (1%) | 0 | |
| I don’t know | 34 (2%) | 1 (1%) | |
| Q28. Does self-examination help in breast cancer prevention? | |||
| Strongly agree | 21 (1%) | 1 (1%) | <0.05 *, −1885 |
| Agreed | 122 (5%) | 11 (8%) | |
| In disagreement | 1054 (47%) | 60 (43%) | |
| Strongly disagree | 535 (24%) | 43 (31%) | |
| Uncertain | 503 (12%) | 25 (18%) | |
| Q29. Is self-palpation not necessary if a breast examination is performed? | |||
| Strongly agree | 2189 (98%) | 136 (97%) | 0.53, −0.566 |
| Agreed | 46 (2%) | 4 (3%) | |
| In disagreement | 0 | 0 | |
| Strongly disagree | 0 | 0 | |
| Uncertain | 0 | 0 | |
| Q30. Is self-palpation not necessary if I perform periodic mammography? | |||
| Strongly agree | 19 (1%) | 2 (1%) | <0.05 *, −1652 |
| Agreed | 143 (6%) | 7 (5%) | |
| In disagreement | 1067 (48%) | 64 (46%) | |
| Strongly disagree | 492 (22%) | 41 (29%) | |
| Uncertain | 514 (23%) | 26 (19%) | |
| Q31. Performing self-examination decreases mortality. | |||
| Strongly agree | 547 (24%) | 42 (30%) | <0.05 *, −1222 |
| Agreed | 807 (36%) | 51 (36%) | |
| In disagreement | 154 (7%) | 15 (11%) | |
| Strongly disagree | 32 (1%) | 0 | |
| Uncertain | 695 (31%) | 32 (23%) | |
| Q32. Performing self-examination once a month helps me find lumps. | |||
| Strongly agree | 978 (44%) | 65 (46%) | 0.33, −0.327 |
| Agreed | 1001 (45%) | 56 (40%) | |
| In disagreement | 242 (11%) | 16 (11%) | |
| Strongly disagree | 13 (1%) | 2 (1%) | |
| Uncertain | 1 (0%) | 1 (1%) | |