Knowledge about mammography of women from a Northeastern city in Brazil.

摘要

Although breast cancer is being detected early and the associated mortality is decreasing, it is still one of the most common neoplasms around the world (Jemal et al., 2009). Breast cancer is also the leading cause of death among Brazilian women, and the incidence in Brazil is gradually rising (Cazap et al., 2010). In developing countries, economic issues and inadequate knowledge are associated with difficult access to mammography and clinical breast examination by health professionals. We aimed to determine the knowledge level of women from one of the poorest large Brazilian cities (Sao Luis, Maranhao) in the Northeast region and to identify the sociodemographic variables associated with inadequate knowledge.