Abstract
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Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy among women globally, yet awareness and early screening practices remain low in low- and middle-income countries like India. To assess and compare knowledge of breast cancer, awareness of breast self-examination (BSE), and BSE practices among women residing in rural and urban communities of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2020 to November 2021 among 400 women aged ≥20 years, sampled from two rural and two urban community health centres. Data were collected using a validated semi-structured questionnaire that covered sociodemographic characteristics, breast cancer knowledge, risk factors, early detection, and BSE practices.
Results: Only 33.5% of rural respondents and 55.96% of urban respondents had heard of breast cancer. Awareness of BSE was markedly lower—17.55% in rural and 13.47% in urban areas. Actual BSE practice was extremely limited (4.72% in rural areas; 8.81% in urban areas). Higher education, occupation, and urban residence were significantly associated with better awareness. Overall knowledge of risk factors, symptoms, and screening was poor across both settings.
Conclusion: A significant awareness and practice gap persists among women in Lucknow, particularly in rural areas. Given widespread willingness to learn, community outreach, structured health education, and female health worker involvement are urgently needed to promote early breast cancer detection and reduce preventable mortality.
Keywords: Breast Cancer, Awareness, BSE, Rural Urban Comparison, Screening Practices, Lucknow.
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