INNOVATIVE HEALTH EDUCATION STRATEGIES REGARDING BREAST SELF-EXAMINATION BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, claiming 8.2 million lives; breast cancer is among these types. Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health (2013) confirms that breast cancer is a major cause of death, with the number of cases rising by 5% annually. Breast cancer is classified as a solid tumor. According to Wibawa and Manuaba (2010), it falls under the category of solid cancers. In Indonesia, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women.Breast cancer takes a considerable amount of time to develop from a single small cell into a lump large enough to be palpated. According to the *Indonesian Journal of Clinical Pathology and Medical Laboratory* (2015), breast carcinoma—also known as *Carcinoma Mammae* (CM)—is a malignancy arising from the epithelial cells that form the breast ducts or lobules. The process begins with excessive cell formation (hyperplasia) and abnormal cell growth, subsequently progressing into carcinoma at the primary site and spreading into the supporting tissue (stroma). It takes seven years for the carcinoma to grow from a single cell into a palpable lump—approximately 1 cm in size. By the time it reaches this size, about 25 percent of CM cases have already spread to other parts of the body.