Perceived barriers to early diagnosis of breast Cancer in south and southwestern Ethiopia: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Early diagnosis is a key determinant of breast cancer prognosis and survival. More than half of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage in Ethiopia, and the barriers to early diagnosis in this country are not well understood. We aimed to identify the perceived barriers to early diagnosis of breast cancer from the perspective of patients and health care providers in south and southwestern Ethiopia. METHODS:A qualitative study was conducted from March to April 2018 using in-depth interviews of breast cancer patients and breast cancer health care providers from six public hospitals located in urban and rural areas of south and southwestern Ethiopia. All participants provided verbal consent before participating. A thematic analysis was performed using Open Code 4.02.

SUBMITTER: Getachew S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7045514 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature