Community pharmacists' role in prevention of breast cancer - is it possible?

Abstract

One of the most common cancers in women leading to death is breast cancer. The main reason for poor treatment results in Poland is inadequate response to the population-based early detection screening program for breast cancer. Women tend to ignore the initial symptoms, neglect breast self-examinations, and skip regular screening tests, which are crucial for preventing the disease, which is associated with insufficient education on the topic and the deficiency of visible promotional campaigns aimed at encouraging women to undergo regular preventive examinations. Local pharmacies, which are often visited by patients, are a good place to start working on breast cancer prevention. Pharmacists, as trusted health professionals, play a significant role in educating their patients about breast cancer and encouraging women to perform breast self-examinations and undergo mammograms regularly. The aim of this article is to review studies focusing on promotional campaigns for breast cancer awareness that are currently in place or ready to be implemented in pharmacies in many countries. Additionally, we will focus on how pharmacists can educate patients and encourage them to undergo screening tests to prevent breast cancer. This is such a crucial aspect because prevention of cancer is as important as treatment.

Keywords: breast cancer prevention; community pharmacy; health promotion; screening tests.