Use of Mammography Test Pattern and Percentage of Breast Cancer Detected in Nablus District

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women,affecting one in nine women at some point in their lives. About 1.3 million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually worldwide.A mammogram test is an x ray of the breast. Early detection of small breast cancers by screening mammograph greatly improves a woman's chances for successful treatment. It is one of the best techniques to detect breast in its early stages. If breast cancer is caught and treated while it is still confined to the breast, the cure rate is close to 100%.Clinical studies suggested that deaths from breast cancer could be cut by between 36% and 44% if screening mammography were performed annually on all women in their forties. Mammogaphy can find 85 90% of BC in women over 50.Objective: The main objective of the study is to illustrate the different sociodemographic patterns of use of MT in Nablus district, and to find out the percentage of BC diagnosed through MT. Methodology: This is a retrospective, descriptive, analytical study. Data collected in 2007-2008 were retrieved to select 556 files of women who underwent MT in the Palestinian Family Planning & Protection association center in Nablus district. Data then was analyzed by SPSS system version (10). Results: The study results revealed a sociodemographic pattern of MT in Nablus district; nearly most of the selected women were of age interval (37-45) years old, married, breastfed, with parity interval 3-5, highly educated; inhabit the city, and are self referral. The data indicated also that there was a significant statistical association between age, parity and BC result p<0.05.No statistically significant association was found between marital status, residence, breastfeeding, education, and self referral and BC result p<0.05. The data also indicated that there is a significant statistically association difference due to smoking narghil and breastfeeding, but did not reach the significance differences due to oral contraceptive use or duen to the onset of menopause. Conclusions: MT could be a useful tool not only to diagnose BC, but also as a precious tool of early screening of BC. There is a good number of utilization of MT in Nablus area which reflected a significant level of awareness and knowledge of the MT among Palestinian women. However an out reach to less privileged women to encourage using MT is called for.Age seems to be an important risk factor for developing BC in Palestine.