Avaliação do conhecimento das mulheres sobre mamografia nas Unidades de Saúde da Família em um município do Recôncavo da Bahia

Abstract

Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer among women. Despite being the leading cause of death among women, it is also the type of cancer with the highest probability of cure, especially when diagnosed early. In this context, mammography plays a fundamental role in reducing mortality from this malignant neoplasm, being widely recognized as the most important exam for screening the disease in Brazil, in addition to being considered the gold standard for early diagnosis. In view of this, the present study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of women who attend Family Health Units (USFs) in rural and urban areas of the municipality of Maragogipe. This is a cross-sectional field study with a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory approach, whose data were collected through the application of questionnaires to a sample of women aged between 40 and 69 years. Difficulty in accessing USFs and lack of information were identified as factors that affect these women's knowledge about mammography, evidencing a lack of familiarity with the exam. However, they recognize the importance of this procedure for diagnosing breast cancer and demonstrate the need to discuss the topic. Therefore, it is crucial to implement educational practices and awareness campaigns for breast cancer prevention.