Educational material for social marketing and behaviours linked to early detection of breast cancer

According to the GLOBOCAN 2018 statistics, breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, ranks fifth among the causes of deaths. According to the same statistics, while the incidence of age-related breast cancer is 23.7 per hundred thousand, the mortality rate is 6.6% (Bray et al, 2018). In Türkiye, as in other middle-income countries, breast cancer incidence is 43 per hundred thousand, and each year, 15 000 women are diagnosed with cancer (Bray et al, 2018).

Although there is, as yet, no early screening method to prevent breast cancer, early diagnosis affects the process and success of breast cancer treatment (Smith et al, 2019). Mammography considered as the gold standard, is the most recommended screening programme (Smith et al, 2019; Schünemann et al, 2020). Having a clinical breast examination (CBE) once a year is another recommended early detection practice (Saslow et al, 2004). Although it is not recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) as a screening method, breast self-examination (BSE) is recommended to increase women's awareness of breast cancer risk. The Ministry of Health in Türkiye recommends that BSE should be performed once a month after 20 years of age. In national cancer screening programmes in Türkiye, it is recommended that women should perform BSE once every month and have CBE once a year, and that women aged 40-69 years should have a mammogram every 2 years (Ministry of Health, 2016).