Investigation of treatment seeking behaviour, perceived social support level of patients with breast cancer treated in Turgut Ozal Medical Center at the University of Inonu

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women both in developed and developing countries. It has higher mortality rate in low and middle income countries due to the late-stage diagnosis. The principal aim of this study was to investigate what paients with breast cancer did before applying to Turgut Ozal Medical Centre (TOMC) and its relationship with late stage diagnosis. The study also aimed to identify the level of patients' perceived social support. It included 200 newly and previously diagnosed patients with breast cancer treated at the chemotherapy unit in TOMC during 2013 and 2014 years. The mean age of the patients was 51,16±1,10 and %60 of the women were graduate of elemantary school. The majority of patients (%69,5) noticed breast mass as a first symptom and %56,5 of them were diagnosed at later stages. Of the patients, %34 delayed to visit health care centers after realizing the first symptom. Generally, the first visited health care center was The State Hospital (%50,5) while the second one was university hospital (%53). Any statsitically significant relationship was not determined between women's education level, residential area, economic conditions, the first noticed symptom, stages of tumor and patients and system related delay (p>0,05). Patients related delay and system related delay was not significant statistically. Family support score (24,8±4,6) was higher than those of friends and husbands (respectively 23,8±5,5, 21,3±6,4). Husbands support score was statistically differed in terms of the intimacy between women and their husbands after disease (p<0,001). It can be concluded that overcoming the barriers, related to patients and system, will lead to early stage diagnosis resulting higher survival rates of patients with breast cancer. As awareness and knowledge level of women about cancer increases, they will visit the health care centers where they can get more comprehensive treatment earlier.