Zhou S. Bridging knowledge gaps in breast cancer prevention: Insights from Ethiopia. World J Clin Oncol 2025; 16(7): 106687 [DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i7.106687]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Shan Zhou, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, 9801 SW Discovery Wy, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, United States. zhoushanjnu@hotmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Oncology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Oncol. Jul 24, 2025; 16(7): 106687 Published online Jul 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i7.106687
Bridging knowledge gaps in breast cancer prevention: Insights from Ethiopia
Shan Zhou
Shan Zhou, Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, United States
Author contributions: Shan Zhou contributed to the manuscript's writing and editing.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Shan Zhou, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, 9801 SW Discovery Wy, Port St. Lucie, FL 34987, United States. zhoushanjnu@hotmail.com
Received: March 5, 2025 Revised: March 17, 2025 Accepted: March 27, 2025 Published online: July 24, 2025 Processing time: 140 Days and 2.3 Hours
Abstract
This editorial comment on the article by Agidew et al in the recent issue of the World Journal of Clinical Oncology. Breast cancer remains a growing challenge in Ethiopia, where high mortality results from low awareness, delayed diagnosis, and restricted healthcare access. Agidew et al report that women with a family history of breast disease exhibit significantly higher levels of knowledge (83.9% vs 10.5%), more positive attitudes (49% vs 32.1%), and greater engagement in preventive practices (74.1% vs 16.7%). However, with 69%-79% of women living below the poverty line, socioeconomic barriers severely limit preventive actions. Education, income, and community health insurance emerge as key predictors of health behaviors. We propose integrated interventions including deploying community-based approaches, culturally tailored education, and artificial intelligence-powered education tools, to bridge knowledge gaps and transform awareness into action. This multifaceted strategy offers a scalable model for resource-limited settings globally, addressing both individual awareness and structural barriers to improve breast cancer outcomes.
Core Tip: In Ethiopia, a study reveals that family history (FH) significantly boosts awareness and preventive practices among women, with those reporting FH demonstrating 83.9% knowledge compared to only 10.5% among those without. However, 69%-79% of participants live below the poverty line, underscoring critical socioeconomic barriers. Education, income, and insurance emerge as strong predictors of positive outcomes, suggesting that expanding community health insurance could be a pivotal strategy. This editorial advocates for deploying community-based approaches, culturally tailored education, and AI-powered education tools, to bridge knowledge gaps in resource-limited settings and transform awareness into action globally.
