@article{article_954919, title={Awareness of Patients Applying to a Cancer Research Center About Early Diagnosis of Cancer}, journal={Konuralp Medical Journal}, volume={14}, pages={49–55}, year={2022}, DOI={10.18521/ktd.954919}, author={Gökgöz Durmaz, Funda and Cihan, Fatma Gökşin}, keywords={cancer screening, early diagnosis, fecal occult blood test}, abstract={Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the level of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of patients about cancer types, symptoms, and early diagnosis methods. Method: Individuals over the age of 18 who agreed to participate in the study were included in this descriptive study. Those who had any psychiatric disease and treated for cancer were excluded from the study. In order to collect the data, a questionnaire form was applied by face-to-face interview method. SPSS-24 program was used for statistical analysis. Result: A total of 324 volunteers, 266 women (82.1%) participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 49.04±6.19, 263 of them were married (81.2%), 71.3% were primary school graduates and 37.3% had cancer in one of their first degree relatives. A statistically significant correlation was found between having cancer in the family and having cancer screening regularly (p=0.038). There was no significant relationship between gender, marital status and regular cancer screening (p˃0.05). Of the participants 18.2% thought that cancer screening did not improve health, and 11% thought that we did not need to be screened because we were not at risk. Conclusion: The level of knowledge and awareness of the participants about cancer types, screening methods and screening programs was found to be low. In order to implement national cancer control programs, public knowledge and awareness of cancer should be increased. Further studies should be carried out so that the importance of early diagnosis can be learned by the society and made it an individual responsibility.}, number={1}, publisher={Duzce University}