Awareness, Attitudes, and Barriers Towards Cancer Screening: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer screening is an essential tool in the early detection and prevention of malignancies. It improves survival outcomes and reduces the treatment burden by identifying cancer in its early stages. Despite its benefits, participation in cancer screening remains low in many populations. This study aimed to assess the awareness, attitudes, and barriers to cancer screening among patients attending a tertiary care hospital.

Material and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted over a three-month period in the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. About 50 adult participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured, pre-validated questionnaire that included demographic details, awareness of cancer screening, and barriers to participation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results: Only 6% of participants had undergone cancer screening despite 82 to 86% acknowledging the importance of early detection. Head and neck cancer was the most reported type (40%). Knowledge about specific screening procedures was low (6%). Major barriers included the belief of being healthy (74%), fear of diagnosis (28%), and distance to the screening center (28%).

Conclusion: Although general awareness of the benefits of cancer screening was high, actual screening rates were significantly low. The findings suggest that psychological barriers and accessibility issues are the primary obstacles to progress. Efforts to increase screening uptake should focus on education, community-based services, and reducing systemic barriers.