Even as breast self-examination (BSE) remains a feasible screening method in resource-poor settings like India, yet diagnosis in advanced stages remains a cause of concern. This is mainly because the majority of women particularly from rural India have poor awareness regarding breast cancer and poor practice of BSE.

This was found by a group of researchers while assessing the awareness of breast cancer and the practice of BSE among women in a rural area of Karnataka in South India. This speaks volumes of the awareness status among rural women across the country.

Published in the Indian Journal of Cancer, the  study revealed that less than one in ten women knew that a lump in the breast is a symptom of breast cancer. Majority 338 (81.2%) were not able to state even a single symptom of breast cancer and 365 (87.7%) not able to state even one risk factor of breast cancer.

Majority 354 (85.1%) of the women in the study had never heard of BSE. None of the women in the study performed monthly BSE. Only 40 (9.6%) of the women actually performed BSE within the last 6 months. Women with higher education and those who reported a history of a lump in the breast in self or family were significantly more likely to state at least one symptom of breast cancer and were more likely to practice BSE, noted the authors of the study led by Avita R, Department of Community Health, St. John's Medical College, Bangalore.

Awareness of at least one symptom of breast cancer was associated with an 18 fold increase in the practice of BSE, study said, revealing an urgent need to focus on health awareness regarding breast cancer and BSE among rural women.

Though the study was conducted in 2016, its observation still holds true keeping in mind no let up in the breast cancer cases.

The authors have called for an urgent need to focus on health awareness regarding breast cancer and BSE among rural women by exploring various mechanisms of community engagement, including involving grassroots-level health workers.

The study tool used was the Breast Cancer Awareness Measure (Breast-CAM), developed by Cancer Research UK, King's College London and University College London in 2009, and it records awareness of symptoms and risk factors of breast cancer and awareness and practice regarding BSE. It was translated into the local language Kannada for use in rural areas for study purposes.