The Relationship between Breast Self-examination and the Disease Stage in Detection Time among Patients with Breast Cancer in Yazd

Introduction: breast cancer, as the most common cancer among women, is controllable if it is diagnosed at the early stages. Breast self- examination is a simple method for early detection. One of the most important effective factors on the cancer-related mortality is the defection stage. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between breast self-examination and the disease stage with regard to the detection time among patients with breast cancer in Yazd. Methods: this cross-sectional study was carried out on 159 women with breast cancer, who referred to medical centers in Yazd. Data collection tool was a questionnaire with two parts. The first part was the demographic information and the second part dealt with the patients' breast self-examination before the detection of their disease. The disease stage in the detection time was determined based on the results of the pathology test. Data were analyzed using χ2 and other description tests by SPSS. Results: A statistically signification relationship was observed between disease stage at the defection time and breast self-examination. The disease was detected earlier in individuals who reported a higher frequency of breast self-examination in comparison with those who did not. Conclusion: Breast self-examination affects the early detection of breast cancer and those who were educated had better practice. So, the results show the importance of educational programs in this regard.