Background: Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among all gynecological cancers. However, early detection of the disease could improve patients' outcomes. This could be achieved by satisfying knowledge about the risk factors and symptoms of ovarian cancer. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the level of knowledge of Saudi women about the symptoms and risk factors of ovarian cancer.
Methodology: A cross-sectional observational survey was carried out among literate females aged 18 years and above, in Saudi Arabia, using an online self-developed questionnaire that was distributed via a link to Google forms. Only completed surveys were included in the analysis.
Results: A total of 473 females responded to this survey. Women who were proactive in talking with their doctors showed a significantly higher score (p value < 0.001). Participants who did not talk to their doctors about ovarian cancer showed a significantly lower score (p value < 0.001). Also, 89.8% of the females mentioned that they did not discuss ovarian cancer with their doctors on any previous visits, where 41.3% of the respondents
mentioned that they did not believe that they were in danger, and 5.6% of the females mentioned that their doctors were too busy to talk with them.
Conclusion: A poor level of knowledge, poor practices, and behavior toward ovarian cancer among females was observed in Saudi Arabia. Further studies are required to explore the reasons behind this poor knowledge about ovarian cancer.
Key words: Ovarian cancer, knowledge, determinants
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