title: Awareness of breast cancer among adolescent girls in Colombo, Sri Lanka: a school based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women worldwide. Although programmes promoting breast cancer awareness are being carried out throughout Sri Lanka, few have targeted school students. We conducted this study to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding breast cancer with reference to screening, services available, breast self-examination, and sources of information, among adolescent schoolgirls in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka.
  
  
  METHODS
  The knowledge, attitudes and practices related to breast cancer were assessed among 859 adolescent girls in schools within the Colombo District, using a self-administered questionnaire. Classes and students were selected using multi-stage stratified cluster sampling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total sample, approximately 60% of respondents identified 'history of breast lump', 'family history of breast cancer' & 'exposure to irradiation' as risk factors for breast cancer. Although most were aware that the presence of a breast lump was an important warning sign, awareness of other warning signs was poor. Only 35.6% identified mammogram as an effective screening method. One third of the sample maintained that they are unaware of symptoms, diagnostics and treatment of breast cancer. Of those who were aware, 90.6% named surgery as a treatment option for breast cancer, 79.4% were unaware that chemotherapy is used. Of the total sample, 17.1% knew how to perform breast self-examination, and only 9.4% were aware of currently available breast cancer screening services. Knowledge was significantly better among students who had a relative with breast cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were significant deficiencies in knowledge, attitudes and practices on breast cancer in the study population. In particular, knowledge on breast self examination was poor. There is a need for awareness programs aimed specifically at this important target group.
authors.forename: Hasanthika M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ranasinghe
authors.forename: Nilakshika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ranasinghe
authors.forename: Chaturaka
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.forename: Rohini De A
authors.initials: Rde A
authors.lastname: Seneviratne
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, 25 Kynsey Road, Colombo 08, Sri Lanka. senaka.ucfm@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Senaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajapakse
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires