Breasts Self-Examination: A Feminine Reality

• Autor(a) principal: Vieira, Francieli
• Data de Publicação: 2009
• Outros Autores: Salci, Maria Aparecida
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Saúde e Pesquisa (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.unicesumar.edu.br/index.php/saudpesq/article/view/863
• topic: Auto-exame; Mulher; Câncer de mama; Self-examination; Women; Breast cancer.

The breast cancer is the leading cancer affecting women in Brazil, and in 2006 showed an incidence of 48,930 cases (INCA, 2007). Thus it is important the awareness of people about breast self-examination, because it is an important method for early detection of cancer (DAVIM et al., 2003). This study, a research of quantitative nature, aimed at identifying the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination of academics in a graduation course. Participated thirty-one academic women that attended the course of Physiotherapy of a college institution in the north of Paraná, aged between 18 and 35 years. Data collection was through a closed questionnaire containing ten questions. The results revealed that in most cases, the interviewees are unmarried, have no children, never breastfed and have no case of breast cancer in the family. All said they know the importance of breast self-examination, however 24% of them do the examination at intervals greater than every month. From the academics, 65% have searched for a professional to conduct breast tests and tried by a gynecologist. It was possible to conclude that all have academic knowledge about the importance of breasts self-examination and most of them do it monthly. It is emphasized here the role of the nurse at the time of gynecological consultation, the importance of the completion of this examination, which is simple but capable of identifying breast changes.