Differences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible Palestinian women
Abstract In Palestine, breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women. This study explored the relationship between eligibility for BC screening and the time taken for seeking medical advice for possible BC symptoms. It also identified the barriers hindering early presentation among scr...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10605-x |
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| author | Mohamedraed Elshami Maram Albandak Mohammed Alser Ibrahim Al-Slaibi Faten Darwish Usrof Malak Ayman Mousa Qawasmi Islam Osama Ismail Roba Jamal Ghithan Heba Mahmoud Okshiya Nouran Ramzi Shaban Shurrab Ibtisam Ismail Mahfouz Aseel AbdulQader Fannon Mona Radi Mohammad Hawa Narmeen Giacaman Manar Ahmaro Rula Khader Zaatreh Wafa Aqel AbuKhalil Noor Khairi Melhim Ruba Jamal Madbouh Hala Jamal Abu Hziema Raghad Abed-Allateef Lahlooh Sara Nawaf Ubaiat Nour Ali Jaffal Reem Khaled Alawna Salsabeel Naeem Abed Bessan Nimer Ali Abuzahra Aya Jawad Abu Kwaik Mays Hafez Dodin Raghad Othman Taha Dina Mohammed Alashqar Roaa Abd-al-Fattah Mubarak Tasneem Smerat Shurouq I. Albarqi Mysoon Abu-El-Noor Nasser Abu-El-Noor Bettina Bottcher |
| author_facet | Mohamedraed Elshami Maram Albandak Mohammed Alser Ibrahim Al-Slaibi Faten Darwish Usrof Malak Ayman Mousa Qawasmi Islam Osama Ismail Roba Jamal Ghithan Heba Mahmoud Okshiya Nouran Ramzi Shaban Shurrab Ibtisam Ismail Mahfouz Aseel AbdulQader Fannon Mona Radi Mohammad Hawa Narmeen Giacaman Manar Ahmaro Rula Khader Zaatreh Wafa Aqel AbuKhalil Noor Khairi Melhim Ruba Jamal Madbouh Hala Jamal Abu Hziema Raghad Abed-Allateef Lahlooh Sara Nawaf Ubaiat Nour Ali Jaffal Reem Khaled Alawna Salsabeel Naeem Abed Bessan Nimer Ali Abuzahra Aya Jawad Abu Kwaik Mays Hafez Dodin Raghad Othman Taha Dina Mohammed Alashqar Roaa Abd-al-Fattah Mubarak Tasneem Smerat Shurouq I. Albarqi Mysoon Abu-El-Noor Nasser Abu-El-Noor Bettina Bottcher |
| author_sort | Mohamedraed Elshami |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In Palestine, breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women. This study explored the relationship between eligibility for BC screening and the time taken for seeking medical advice for possible BC symptoms. It also identified the barriers hindering early presentation among screening-eligible and ineligible Palestinian women. Palestinian females from governmental hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and diverse public venues across 11 governorates within Palestine were recruited using convenience sampling. A modified, translated-into-Arabic version of the BC Awareness Measure was utilized for data collection. The questionnaire comprised three sections: sociodemographic information, duration for seeking medical advice upon recognizing each of 13 possible BC symptoms, and barriers impeding early presentation. The final analysis included 2796 participants, with 2168 (77.5%) ineligible for BC screening and 628 (22.5%) eligible. The proportion of participants who would seek medical advice immediately varied depending on the nature of BC symptoms. Approximately half of participants in both the screening-eligible (n = 1097, 50.6%) and ineligible (n = 293, 46.7%) groups indicated that they would seek immediate medical advice for ‘lump or thickening in the breast.’ Similarly, about half of participants in both groups reported an inclination to seek immediate medical advice for ‘nipple discharge or bleeding’ (screening-eligible: n = 954, 44.0%; screening-ineligible: n = 280, 44.6%). Less than half of participants would seek immediate medical advice for other BC symptoms. Screening-eligible women were more likely to seek advice within a week for six out of 13 possible BC symptoms than screening-ineligible women. Among screening-eligible participants, 9.9% (n = 62) acknowledged a delay in seeking medical attention upon recognizing a potential BC symptom. Emotional barriers were most frequently reported, with ‘disliking the visit to healthcare facilities’ identified as the leading barrier among screening-eligible participants (n = 38, 61.3%). No association was found between BC screening eligibility and the total or type-specific number of reported barriers. Differences in immediate medical advice seeking for various BC symptoms were observed between screening-eligible and ineligible groups. Emotional barriers were the most prevalent in both groups. Tailored interventions to enhance BC awareness and address barriers to early presentation are essential. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5e5ac874f0404efbbbaebf2c2d71dfda |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-5e5ac874f0404efbbbaebf2c2d71dfda2025-08-20T04:01:51ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-10605-xDifferences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible Palestinian womenMohamedraed Elshami0Maram Albandak1Mohammed Alser2Ibrahim Al-Slaibi3Faten Darwish Usrof4Malak Ayman Mousa Qawasmi5Islam Osama Ismail6Roba Jamal Ghithan7Heba Mahmoud Okshiya8Nouran Ramzi Shaban Shurrab9Ibtisam Ismail Mahfouz10Aseel AbdulQader Fannon11Mona Radi Mohammad Hawa12Narmeen Giacaman13Manar Ahmaro14Rula Khader Zaatreh15Wafa Aqel AbuKhalil16Noor Khairi Melhim17Ruba Jamal Madbouh18Hala Jamal Abu Hziema19Raghad Abed-Allateef Lahlooh20Sara Nawaf Ubaiat21Nour Ali Jaffal22Reem Khaled Alawna23Salsabeel Naeem Abed24Bessan Nimer Ali Abuzahra25Aya Jawad Abu Kwaik26Mays Hafez Dodin27Raghad Othman Taha28Dina Mohammed Alashqar29Roaa Abd-al-Fattah Mubarak30Tasneem Smerat31Shurouq I. Albarqi32Mysoon Abu-El-Noor33Nasser Abu-El-Noor34Bettina Bottcher35Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical CenterDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of ToledoUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA)Almakassed HospitalDepartment of a Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Islamic University of GazaPalestinian Red Crescent Hospital-HalhoulMinistry of HealthFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityAl-Shifa HospitalFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Islamic University of GazaFaculty of Medicine, Islamic University of GazaTulkarem Governmental HospitalFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityClalit Al-Makassed Medical CenterFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityDepartment of Pharmacy, An-Najah National UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Islamic University of GazaFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityDepartment of Internal Medicine, An-Najah National University HospitalFaculty of Medicine, Islamic University of GazaFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Dentistry, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Islamic University of GazaFaculty of Medicine, Al-Quds UniversityFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic UniversityFaculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University of GazaFaculty of Nursing, Islamic University of GazaFaculty of Nursing, Islamic University of GazaFaculty of Medicine, Islamic University of GazaAbstract In Palestine, breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women. This study explored the relationship between eligibility for BC screening and the time taken for seeking medical advice for possible BC symptoms. It also identified the barriers hindering early presentation among screening-eligible and ineligible Palestinian women. Palestinian females from governmental hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and diverse public venues across 11 governorates within Palestine were recruited using convenience sampling. A modified, translated-into-Arabic version of the BC Awareness Measure was utilized for data collection. The questionnaire comprised three sections: sociodemographic information, duration for seeking medical advice upon recognizing each of 13 possible BC symptoms, and barriers impeding early presentation. The final analysis included 2796 participants, with 2168 (77.5%) ineligible for BC screening and 628 (22.5%) eligible. The proportion of participants who would seek medical advice immediately varied depending on the nature of BC symptoms. Approximately half of participants in both the screening-eligible (n = 1097, 50.6%) and ineligible (n = 293, 46.7%) groups indicated that they would seek immediate medical advice for ‘lump or thickening in the breast.’ Similarly, about half of participants in both groups reported an inclination to seek immediate medical advice for ‘nipple discharge or bleeding’ (screening-eligible: n = 954, 44.0%; screening-ineligible: n = 280, 44.6%). Less than half of participants would seek immediate medical advice for other BC symptoms. Screening-eligible women were more likely to seek advice within a week for six out of 13 possible BC symptoms than screening-ineligible women. Among screening-eligible participants, 9.9% (n = 62) acknowledged a delay in seeking medical attention upon recognizing a potential BC symptom. Emotional barriers were most frequently reported, with ‘disliking the visit to healthcare facilities’ identified as the leading barrier among screening-eligible participants (n = 38, 61.3%). No association was found between BC screening eligibility and the total or type-specific number of reported barriers. Differences in immediate medical advice seeking for various BC symptoms were observed between screening-eligible and ineligible groups. Emotional barriers were the most prevalent in both groups. Tailored interventions to enhance BC awareness and address barriers to early presentation are essential.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10605-xBreast cancerEarly presentationEarly diagnosisSymptomsHealth educationPalestine |
| spellingShingle | Mohamedraed Elshami Maram Albandak Mohammed Alser Ibrahim Al-Slaibi Faten Darwish Usrof Malak Ayman Mousa Qawasmi Islam Osama Ismail Roba Jamal Ghithan Heba Mahmoud Okshiya Nouran Ramzi Shaban Shurrab Ibtisam Ismail Mahfouz Aseel AbdulQader Fannon Mona Radi Mohammad Hawa Narmeen Giacaman Manar Ahmaro Rula Khader Zaatreh Wafa Aqel AbuKhalil Noor Khairi Melhim Ruba Jamal Madbouh Hala Jamal Abu Hziema Raghad Abed-Allateef Lahlooh Sara Nawaf Ubaiat Nour Ali Jaffal Reem Khaled Alawna Salsabeel Naeem Abed Bessan Nimer Ali Abuzahra Aya Jawad Abu Kwaik Mays Hafez Dodin Raghad Othman Taha Dina Mohammed Alashqar Roaa Abd-al-Fattah Mubarak Tasneem Smerat Shurouq I. Albarqi Mysoon Abu-El-Noor Nasser Abu-El-Noor Bettina Bottcher Differences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible Palestinian women Scientific Reports Breast cancer Early presentation Early diagnosis Symptoms Health education Palestine |
| title | Differences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible Palestinian women |
| title_full | Differences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible Palestinian women |
| title_fullStr | Differences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible Palestinian women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible Palestinian women |
| title_short | Differences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible Palestinian women |
| title_sort | differences in seeking breast cancer care between screening eligible versus ineligible palestinian women |
| topic | Breast cancer Early presentation Early diagnosis Symptoms Health education Palestine |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-10605-x |
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