Understanding Cancer Screening Awareness, Barriers and Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Study on Breast, Cervical, and Oral Cancer Screening
Cancer is a growing public health challenge in India and globally. According to the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN, 2022), there were 20 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million deaths worldwide in that year. Projections estimate that by 2050, cancer incidence will rise by 77%, reaching 35 million cases.
Screening plays a critical role in early detection and prevention, especially for cancers like breast, cervical, and oral—three of the most common cancers affecting women in India. Despite the existence of national programs such as the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) and guidelines under Ayushman Bharat, the uptake of cancer screening remains alarmingly low.
Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21) reveals that only 0.9% of women had ever been screened for breast cancer, 1.9% for cervical cancer and 0.9% for oral cancer. Although substantial infrastructure is in place—including 753 District NCD Clinic, 355 District Day Care Centres and over 6,200 Community Health Centre (CHC) NCD Clinics—the utilization of these services remains suboptimal, primarily due to insufficient public awareness.This gap between availability and awareness motivated our research on the knowledge and perceptions of cancer screening.
Recognizing the critical need for cancer screening among women, the Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospital initiated cervical cancer screening services way back in 2008. Since then, the hospital has implemented a range of diagnostic and treatment procedures, including Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA), Pap smear tests, cervical biopsies and cryotherapy.
The current study focuses on understanding the levels of awareness regarding cancer, its screening methods, the barriers that prevent participation in screening programs and the behavioral patterns associated with preventive care. This research focuses primarily on screening for breast, cervical and oral cancers, given their high prevalence in India and the proven effectiveness of early detection in reducing mortality rates.
The survey was conducted at Sri Sathya Sai General Hospital, Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospital and Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prashanthi Nilayam. A total of 300 women aged 15 and above participated in the primary data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics reveal that many respondents were unaware that screening can detect cancer at its initial stages. A common misconception identified was that screening is only necessary when symptoms appear.
However, once briefed during the survey participants indicated willingness to get screened if facilities and accurate information were made readily available. Awareness is the first step in prevention. Through this research, we hope to make that step more informed, inclusive and impactful.