The awareness of testicular cancer among young males in the Lubelskie Region / Świadomość nowotworu jądra wśród młodych mężczyzn na Lubelszczyźnie

Aim. The aim of the study was to analyze the awareness of testicular cancer and prevention behaviors among male residents of the Lubelskie Province.

Material and methods. The study was conducted in 2015 and involved 131 men aged 17 to 38. A questionnaire designed by the authors was used as a research tool. The obtained results were analyzed statistically and the Chi2 test was used.

Results. Using a 0-5 scale, every fourth participant assessed their knowledge as 0, while only 7% assessed it as 5. The average level was 3.1 among students of medicine, while among students of other faculties it was 1.6. The Internet was cited as the most popular source of information about testicular cancer, while the healthcare staff was ranked as the last one. As much as 83.2% of men from the study group had never learnt how to perform testicular self-examination properly. Medical students were more likely to carry out this procedure regularly - 32%, compared to non-medical students - 12%.

Conclusions. The awareness of testicular cancer among the population of young men from the Lubelskie Province is insufficient, which is the main cause of their failure to perform regular self-examinations. The role of general practitioners is too little, despite the fact that most males consider them as the most reliable source of the information. Implementation of education and training programs for prevention of testicular cancer is required.