Knowledge and practice regarding cancer screening in Nepal: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Cancer screening utilization can aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, the current scenario of the knowledge and practice regarding cancer screening remains unclear as the authors do not have sufficient studies. Hence, the authors conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the situation of cancer screening utilization and knowledge. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all studies on knowledge and practice regarding cancer screening in the Nepalese population. Data extraction and analysis were done with SPSS and CMA-3. Results: The authors identified a total of 5238 studies after database searching, and 19 studies were included in a narrative synthesis. Lack of awareness and knowledge was the major barrier in cervical, breast, and testicular cancer screening. In cervical cancer screening, the most common reason for screening was the advice of health personnel in 85% of respondents, and the barrier was lack of awareness in 49.33% of participants. Conclusion: The knowledge and practice of cancer screening is lacking in Nepal, as shown by our review. More educational and awareness programs, easy access to screening services, and elimination of sociocultural barriers are necessary to increase the utilization of screening services.