2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer (ePosters)-EP01.02-002. Awareness of Palestinians about Lung Cancer Symptoms: A National Cross-sectional Study

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This national cross-sectional study aimed to assess the awareness of lung cancer (LC) symptoms among Palestinians and identify factors associated with good awareness. The majority of LC cases are diagnosed late, partly due to poor awareness of symptoms. Participants were recruited from hospitals, healthcare centers, and public spaces using convenience sampling. A translated-into-Arabic version of the validated LC awareness measure was used to assess recognition of 14 LC symptoms. The total score was calculated and categorized as poor, fair, or good awareness based on the number of recognized symptoms. Of the 4,817 participants who completed the questionnaire, 51.8% displayed good awareness of LC symptoms. Participants from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank & Jerusalem had similar likelihoods of having good awareness levels.<br /><br />The most recognized LC symptom was "worsening in an existing cough" (81.6%), while the least recognized was "a cough that does not go away for two or three weeks" (62.0%). In terms of non-respiratory symptoms, the most recognized was "persistent tiredness or lack of energy" (67.3%), and the least recognized was "persistent shoulder pain" (24.6%).<br /><br />Factors associated with a higher likelihood of displaying good awareness included being older, having a higher monthly income, suffering from more chronic diseases, and having higher education. The study concludes that further improvement in public awareness through educational interventions could reduce LC mortality by promoting early diagnosis. Overall, this study provides insights into the awareness of LC symptoms among Palestinians and highlights the need for targeted awareness campaigns to improve early detection and treatment outcomes for LC.

Asset Subtitle

Hanan Abukmail, Palestine

Meta Tag

Speaker Hanan Abukmail, Palestine

Topic Early Detection and Screening - Dissemination

Keywords

lung cancer symptoms

awareness

Palestinians

late diagnosis

convenience sampling

Gaza Strip

existing cough

persistent tiredness

shoulder pain

educational interventions