Table 2. Respondents’ awareness and knowledge of breast cancer symptoms and treatment (n=369).
| Variable | Frequency (f) | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Most common symptoms of breast cancer* | ||
| Breast lump | 172 | 43 |
| Pain and discharge | 22 | 6 |
| Change in shape of breast | 52 | 13 |
| Breast lump and change in shape | 31 | 8 |
| Breast lump, pain, and discharge | 20 | 5 |
| Change in shape, pain, and discharge from nipple | 4 | 1 |
| Change in shape of breast and discharge from nipple | 52 | 13 |
| Don’t know | 45 | 11 |
| Screening program for breast cancer | ||
| Yes | 69 | 19 |
| No | 300 | 81 |
| Have you heard about breast self-examination | ||
| Yes | 227 | 62 |
| No | 142 | 38 |
| Have you heard about mammography | ||
| Yes | 34 | 9 |
| No | 335 | 91 |
| Risk factors for breast cancer | ||
| Family history | 92 | 25 |
| Exposure to radiation | 89 | 24 |
| Nulliparity | 13 | 4 |
| Family history and exposure to radiation | 30 | 8 |
| Nulliparity and exposure to radiation | 4 | 1 |
| Nulliparity and family history | 4 | 1 |
| Family history, exposure to radiation and nulliparity | 3 | 1 |
| Don’t know | 134 | 36 |
| Treatment for breast cancer | ||
| Yes | 131 | 36 |
| No | 238 | 64 |
| Spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body | ||
| Yes | 185 | 50 |
| No | 184 | 50 |
| Awareness of Oman Cancer Association | ||
| Yes | 124 | 39 |
| No | 225 | 61 |
| If you know OCA: Source of information (out of 124) | ||
| Friends | 27 | 22 |
| Newspaper | 34 | 27 |
| Television | 46 | 37 |
| Relatives | 17 | 14 |
*The participants could choose more than one response and the percentages are based on total responses.