Knowledge of breast cancer warning signs and risk factors and their association with stage at diagnosis among women in Abuja, Nigeria.

Abstract

e22538 Background: Late-stage presentation of breast cancer remains common in low- and middle-income countries and contributes substantially to poor survival. While early diagnosis depends on access to care, women’s ability to recognize symptoms and understand breast cancer risk factors may influence timely health-seeking and stage at presentation. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between 2024 and 2025 among 94 women with histologically confirmed breast cancer receiving care at two tertiary hospitals in Abuja, Nigeria. Sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of breast cancer warning signs and risk factors, and stage at diagnosis were obtained using structured questionnaires and medical records. Knowledge scores were categorized as good (≥75%), moderate (50–74%), or poor (< 50%). Associations with stage at diagnosis were assessed using chi-square tests, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean age of participants was 48.3 ± 11.4 years, with 61.7% aged 31–50 years. Awareness of common warning signs was high, including breast lump (86.2%), axillary lump (85.1%), and breast pain (79.8%). Overall, 44.7% demonstrated good knowledge of warning signs. In contrast, knowledge of breast cancer risk factors was predominantly poor, with 67.0% scoring in the poor category and only 5.3% demonstrating good knowledge. Poor risk-factor knowledge was significantly associated with late-stage diagnosis (p = 0.046), whereas knowledge of warning signs was not (p = 0.521). Educational level was significantly associated with prolonged patient delay prior to diagnosis (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Among women with breast cancer in Abuja, high awareness of symptoms coexists with limited understanding of breast cancer risk factors. Poor risk-factor knowledge, rather than symptom recognition alone, was associated with late-stage diagnosis. Incorporating targeted risk-factor education into routine reproductive and primary health services may help improve early presentation in low-resource settings.