Seyedeh Soma Zakariaee - Department of Midwifery, Nursing and Midwifery faculty, Kurdistan University of MedicalSciences, Kurdistan, Iran.
Seyed Salman Zakariaee - Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, TehranUniversity of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the significant causes of malignancy and mortality in women. Breast cancer is more common in developed countries. It could be the result of earlier detection due to screening programs that are performed in developed countries. The aim of this study is evaluation of the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards breast cancer prevention in pregnant women in Sanandaj.Methods and Materials: This survey was a descriptive-cross sectional study. A custom-designed questionnaire in persian on knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards breast cancer prevention was prepared and administered to a random sample of 104 pregnant women in 2012 in Besaat hospital in Sanandaj. Results and discussion: In the collected questionnaire data, all pregnant women were aware about theexistence of breast cancers. Only 24% and 50% of participants had previously heard about causes and risk factors for breast cancer, respectively. Screening methods were familiar for 11% of participants. Imaging, self-examining and etc. approaches were considered as a prevention method by 68% of sample population. Almost all of them (90%) believed that the medical procedures are the solution treatment for breast cancers.Conclusion: Proper educational courses to improve breast cancer awareness for women is seems to be necessary.

Pregnant women; Knowledge and attitudes; Breast cancer