Purpose: to evaluate the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among medical students and to determine possible factors associated with this practice. Method: the authors used a questionnaire to gather information about the students and their knowledge of this self-examination. This questionnaire also allowed the authors to verify the frequency with which the female students performed breast self-examination. The chi² test and Student's "t" test were used, when applicable, to check the association of certain factors. Results: of the 348 questionnaires which were answered, 16% (55) were submitted by 5th year medical students, who had already attended the Gynecology course; 43% were answered by females, 62% of the students had medical doctors among their relatives, and 17% had a family history of breast cancer. In terms of breast self-examination, 95% knew about the method. Of the 149 females who answered the questionnaire, only 64% checked their breasts regularly. The reasons given for not performing self-examination varied: 24% considered themselves to be too young, 4% thought they would not have cancer, 9% listed fear as the reason, 19% reported they were too lazy, and 44% of the female students had no clear reason for not performing breast self-examination. Neither the knowledge nor the practice of the breast self-examination were associated with the subjects the students had or had not yet taken in medical school, with a family history of breast cancer or with the fact that one or more relatives were medical doctors. Conclusion: breast self-examination is known by practically all the medical students; nevertheless, only one third of the female students performed it regularly. This fact highlights the importance of emphasizing breast self-examination among medical students, so that they can help to disseminate this practice among the general population, rather than delegating this responsibility to the midia.
Breast cancer; Diagnosis; Breast self-examination; Medical Education
