Knowledge of and attitudes toward breast self-examination in Iranian women: a multi-center study.

Background: In Iran, breast cancer is the second most common malignancy among women and diagnosed in advanced stages almost a decade earlier than women living in western countries.

Objective: To determine the level of knowledge and attitudes toward breast self-examination (BSE) among Iranian women.

Methods: In a cross-sectional multi-center study, 3,060 women aged between 25 and 54 years attending between July and October 2009 to 11 general health care centers located in 11 cities of Iran, were interviewed to assess their knowledge and attitudes toward BSE.