Background:
The prevalence of cancer has dramatically increased in Sudan in recent years and the majority of patients diagnosed at the advanced stages of the disease.
Aim:
Therefore, the aim of this survey was to assess the level of cancer awareness before and after delivering educational programs by assessing the awareness in regard to the role of, chemical carcinogens, Tobacco and Alcohol, Microbial infectious agents and others in addition to the important of prevention and early detection.
Methods:
Data were collected during Cancer Awareness and Educational Programs which were conducted remote states in Sudan at various places such as schools, clubs, mosques and Government health centers. This survey covered about 22,420 participants of whom, 1200 has responded.
Results:
Before delivering the educational programs, 30%, 38% and 14% of the respondents had smoked tobacco, dipped Toombak and consumed alcohol, respectively. On asking them whether, these substances were carcinogenic, 68% of the study population and 80% of the users said no. Of the persons who responded to the question, whether some viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi, can cause cancer, 82.8%, 81.4%, 82.8% and 77.8%, respectively, answered no. On asking them whether, Insecticides exposure, Plasticizers exposure, and Radiation exposure, 90%, 89.2% and 88% declared no. Reassessment after varied periods of delivering the educational programs showed significant differences in all variables indicating the successfulness of such programs.
Conclusions:
The level of cancer awareness is low amongst Sudanese of remote states inhabitants, where the education level is very low. The full burden of cancer in Sudan remains mysterious, since there no effective cancer awareness programs in the country, which explains why patients attend at the late stages of the disease and why the incidence is increasing each year.