title: Public awareness of testicular cancer and self-examination in Turkey: a multicenter study of Turkish Urooncology Society.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Testicular self-examination is the easiest and cheapest way to scan testicular cancer. However, the public awareness about testicular self-examination is very low. We aimed to investigate the public awareness of Turkish people about testicular cancer and testicular self-examination.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a survey consisting of 10 questions concerning testicular cancer and testicular self-examination in 799 students in the first year of 12 different medical schools. Aiming for a common method of data collection, the questionnaires were administered to the students during a class just before the lesson started. The whole data from all of the centers were pooled in a common data-base file.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-nine (11.1%) of the participants reported that they had knowledge about testicular cancer, but only 11 (1.4%) of them answered all the questions about testicular cancer correctly. Eight (1%) of the participants reported that they had been performing testicular self-examination routinely once a month. Four (0.5%) of them were both well informed about testicular cancer and had been performing testicular self-examination once a month as suggested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed that awareness on testicular cancer and testicular self-examination is very low and suggests a need for efforts in Turkey to increase public awareness and education.
authors.affiliation: Baskent University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Urology, Ankara, Turkey. Kuzgunbay33@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Baris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuzgunbay
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yaycioglu
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Soyupak
authors.forename: Aliye Atay
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kayis
authors.forename: Semih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ayan
authors.forename: Ismet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yavascaoglu
authors.forename: Cag
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cal
authors.forename: Yasar
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Beduk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016353:Self-Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult