Screening & Awareness of Breast Cancer in an Urban Slum of Pakistan: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women across the world with low survival rates in less developed countries. Low survival rates in less developed countries can be explained mainly by the lack of early detection programs and lack of adequate diagnosis and treatment facilities. Pakistan has high incidence of breast cancer. About one third of all cancer deaths in Pakistan are due to breast cancer. Given that Pakistan is a low resource setting, we aimed to assess the feasibility of breast self-examination followed by clinical examination as a population-based screening tool for breast cancer.