# The Level of Awareness Among Healthcare Practitioners Regarding the Relationship Between Breast Density and Breast Cancer

## TL;DR

This study finds that healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia have moderate awareness about breast density and its link to breast cancer, with some groups showing better knowledge than others.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into the current awareness levels of healthcare practitioners in Saudi Arabia regarding breast density and breast cancer.

## Key findings

- Only 41% of participants were well aware of breast density and its relation to breast cancer.
- Physicians showed higher awareness compared to nurses and allied healthcare practitioners.
- Radiologists and surgeons had the highest awareness levels among specialties.

## Abstract

Background

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women, accounting for around 23% of all cancer-related deaths across 140 nations. The awareness about breast density (BD) has a significant impact on early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Aim and objective

This study aims to assess the awareness of healthcare providers about BD in King Abdullah Medical City.

Methods

This is an analytical cross-sectional questionnaire-based study among the healthcare practitioners of KAMC in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Questions measured knowledge about BD and a pass mark indicated participant awareness. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS, and a chi-square test used for bivariate analysis.

Results

Out of 124 participants, 41% were well aware. Physicians (37% of the sample) were significantly more aware than allied healthcare practitioners and nurses (awareness: 59.6%, 33.3%, 30.4% respectively, (p = 0.03)). Regarding specialty, radiologists and surgeons had the top level of awareness (62% and 64%, respectively) as compared to oncologists (47.1%) and other specialties (29.7%), (p= 0.016). Those above 40 years of age were more aware than those below 40 years (awareness: 62.1% and 34%, respectively, (p=0.007)). Non-significant factors included: gender, years of experience, screened versus non-screened, and receiving information before about BD (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The results of this population-based study indicate the existence of moderate deficits in the general knowledge about BD and its relation to breast cancer. This might lead to a late diagnosis. The results showed no dramatic differences in the awareness among healthcare providers.