Are women aware of the importance of mammography in breast cancer diagnosis and screening?

This study aimed to reveal the experience and knowledge of women concerning mammography and raise awareness of mammography and breast cancer.
A mammography awareness survey was administered to 500 women aged between 40 and 69 years. A total of 434 women knew mammography, while the remaining 66 women were not aware of mammography. Of all respondents, 341 had previously undergone mammography, mostly with the recommendation of their doctors, while 159 participants had not undergone this procedure, mostly stating that they did not consider it necessary. In the group with a history of mammography, difficulties during scanning were reported by 196 women, of whom 187 reported having pain. Of all respondents, 407 stated that they would have mammography in the future whereas 93 denied it.
Education level and willingness to undergo mammography in the future were significantly higher in those with a history of mammography compared with the non-mammography group (P < 0.05 for both). The education status was also significantly higher in women who planned to undergo mammography compared with the women who denied it in the future (P < 0.05). The rate of fear of radiation exposure during scanning was significantly higher among the women without a history of mammography, who also did not plan to undergo this procedure in the future, compared with those who were willing to undergo this procedure (P < 0.05). However, other reasons for not undergoing mammography did not differ significantly between the two groups (P > 0.05). Increasing the awareness in society on breast cancer and mammography may facilitate the detection and treatment of breast cancer. Mammography is the most effective imaging method in detecting breast cancer. Understanding the perspective of women aged 40–69 years concerning this procedure and conducting appropriate studies in this direction may increase the rate of mammography in society and contribute to the early detection of breast cancer.