Mammography and Distraction Technique

According to global cancer statistics worldwide, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Turkey (40.7%). Early diagnosis of breast cancer reduces the mortality rate. Mammography is one of the important diagnostic tools used in breast cancer screening. Mammography is the most suitable method for screening with its easily accessible features and is the most successful imaging method in early diagnosis. The American Cancer Society recommends mammography for women aged 40-44. Women aged 45-54 should have mammography every year for breast cancer risk. The National Turkish Guide recommends that screening should start at age 40 and end at age 69 and be applied every two years (Özkan et al., 2016). However, studies show that most women do not routinely undergo mammography. The most important factor preventing mammography in women is defined as pain. Compression of the breasts during mammography is a necessary procedure to reduce radiation dose and improve image quality. Most women report experiencing pain during this compression procedure. Breast tenderness before mammography, family history of breast cancer, high level of education, carelessness of healthcare personnel performing mammography, and previous pain experience with mammography increase the level of pain during mammography. Although there are some techniques to relieve pain today, it is still important to find easier methods to apply. One of the non-medical interventions aimed at reducing sensitivity is the cognitive-behavioral approach; with this approach, the individual's attention is shifted from a painful stimulus to an external stimulus. This non-pharmacological approach can be adopted to alleviate stress and lower cortisol concentrations in response to stress.