Changes in breast screening of women attended in a unit of reference - descriptive study

• Published in: Online Brazilian journal of nursing Vol. 9; no. 3
• Main Authors: Dias, Levânia Maria Benevides, Monte, Alana Santos, Sousa, Deise Maria Nascimento, Freitas, Lydia Vieira, Damasceno, Ana Kelve Castro, Pinheiro, Ana Karina Bezerra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Niteroi Universidade Federal Fluminense, Mestrado Profissional em Enfermagem 01.09.2010
• ISSN: 1676-4285; 1676-4285
• DOI: 10.5935/1676-4285.20103021

Introduction: In Brazil, breast cancer is the most important gynecologic cancer epidemiology. The Breast Self-Examination (BSE) is one of the most widespread methods for early detection of breast changes. Objective: To a nalyze the form of tracking changes in women attending a breast unit for cancer prevention in Ceará, and check the profile of these women , to identify who detected breast changes and the prevalence with that performed BSE. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive and documentation study, performed at a secondary unit of reference with 128 women from October 2008 to April 2009. Results: There was a predominance of age groups from 40 to 59 years. It was observed that 69 (53.9%) women had 1-5 children and 72 (56.3%) women breastfed. To verify the achievement of the BSE, it was observed that 80 (62.5%) performed BSE and (48) 37.5% not performed. The detection rate of benign tumors is higher in women who perform BSE, accounting for 41 (32.0%) women compared with women who reported not practicing self care. Conclusion: Importantly, the performance of nurses is crucial to take preventive and educational action for women seeking early detection of breast cancer.