title: Knowledge, attitude and practice for breast cancer risk factors and screening modalities in staff nurses of Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer is the commonest cancer modality in female worldwide. Avoiding the risk factors can reduce its incidence and adhering to screening and early detection can reduce its mortality. A sufficient knowledge regarding the risk factors and screening modalities is therefore essential. We assessed the knowledge level about these parameters in our staff nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered questionnaire survey was performed. Knowledge regarding the risk factors and screening modalities were categorised into good, fair, poor and very poor categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Knowledge regarding most of the factors was found to be fair. A few things were termed as good knowledge like role of breast-feeding in protecting against breast cancer. Practice regarding the screening modalities was not satisfactory. Only a few nurses had good knowledge of the risk factors and screening modalities. Practice of the Screening modalities was also poor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to improve the nursing curriculum, training at the workplace and motivate them for screening practices. They should be encouraged to talk to their patients and their female attendants about prevention and early detection of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan. sheraz_islamian@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sheraz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Ahmad Nadim
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Sania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Atta
authors.forename: Mahwish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizwan
authors.forename: Sohail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Ayesha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riaz
authors.forename: Muniba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.forename: Shafaq
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaman
authors.forename: Nita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnny
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D010154:Pakistan; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult