Biomedical Research

Cancer is a group of diseases considered by uncontrollable growth and spread of abnormal cells. There were an estimated 18.1 million new cases of cancer worldwide in 2018. An inadequate awareness of cancer disease among healthcare professionals (HCPs) may put patient lives at risk. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, awareness and beliefs of HCPs towards cancer at Najran Hospitals in Southwest Saudi. A cross- sectional survey among 156 randomly selected HCPs working at Najran hospitals from September-November, 2019. A validated online questionnaire was used to collect the data and descriptive statistics was calculated with p<0.05 being statistically significant. Of the 156 participants 54 (35%) completed the study. More than half of respondents (59%) were male, pharmacists and have 11-15 years of experience. The majority had awareness about cancer disease (78%) and more than 500 cancer cases were reported in Najran in the last five years. Results also showed that breast cancer were the most popular cancer type (42%) followed by liver (22%) and leukemia (17%) among cancer cases in Najran region. The most common barrier for cancer treatment in Najran was lack of resources, staff and equipment. The study also revealed that smoking and changing lifestyle are the most popular cancer risk factors. 78% of respondents strongly agreed that early detection of cancer may greatly increases the chances for successful treatment. The results support that the vast majority of respondents recommended that early detection through regular screening should be mandatory implemented.

Author(s): Hamad S Alyami
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