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Testicular Cancer Awareness and Knowledge: Is It the Same? Exploratory Study in a Mixed-Gender Population

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Abstract

Testicular cancer (TC) is among the most common malignancies in the young male. Awareness plays an important role, because delay in diagnosis affects outcome. Testicular self-examination (TSE) is controversial, but recent evidence shows some cost benefits in performing this exam versus a late-stage diagnosis. The aims of this study are to determine and compare awareness for TC and TSE in males and females with the actual knowledge to this disease in an academic population. An exploratory study using an online questionnaire about TC and TSE was performed in a public university. Answers were collected and submitted to statistical analysis. A total of 815 participants—507 males (62.2 %) and 308 females (37.7 %)—answered the survey. The participants that responded that they were aware of TC were 399/507 (78.7 %) males and 275/308 (89.3 %) females. About half (48.9 %) of male and 42.2 % of female respondents did not answered correctly to most common symptom, and only 15 % of males and 25 % of females answered to the question on age at diagnosis. Both gender subjects rated TSE as very important, and the majority of females were motivated to advise male partners or friends to perform TSE. This study reported a good awareness on TC and TSE, but comparing to the correct knowledge about this disease, results are disappointing. The actual knowledge about TC is low and comparable in men and women. Women revealed a better understanding of this disease and importance of TSE, suggesting that they can assume an important role in promoting health behaviors in men.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urology Department, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Largo Professor Abel Salazar, 4099-001, Porto, Portugal

    Isaac Campos Braga, João Cabral, Nuno Louro & José LaFuente de Carvalho

  2. Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    Isaac Campos Braga

  3. ICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal

    Isaac Campos Braga

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  1. Isaac Campos Braga
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  2. João Cabral
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  3. Nuno Louro
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  4. José LaFuente de Carvalho
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Correspondence to Isaac Campos Braga.

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Braga, I.C., Cabral, J., Louro, N. et al. Testicular Cancer Awareness and Knowledge: Is It the Same? Exploratory Study in a Mixed-Gender Population. J Canc Educ 32, 105–111 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-015-0903-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-015-0903-3

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