Introduction Breast cancer represents a traumatic experience with a psychological burden. The prevalence of psychological distress (which include depression and anxiety) among breast cancer patients is estimated to be 15 to 54%, but studies have shown that applying some psychological treatments has contributed to decreasing depression and anxiety. So, it is crucial to diagnose and treat patients with the appropriate means. After reviewing the literature, no studies discussed depression and anxiety among Syrian breast cancer patients. Methods A cross-sectional study in Al-Bairouni hospital in Damascus, Syria carried out using face-to-face interviews based on a structured questionnaire. All breast cancer patients were included, except who refused to participate, and responses with missing data were excluded. The questionnaire consisted of 2 sections: the first included Socio-demographic characteristics, and the other evaluated patients' depression using PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scales. Data were gathered using the Kobo toolbox app and then entered into an Excel sheet. Results Five hundred patients were interviewed. 35.6% of the patients had a GAD-2 score greater than or equal to 3.00, while 35% had a PHQ-2 score greater than or equal to 3.00. There is a significant negative relationship between the age of the patient and the GAD-2 score and PHQ-2 score, which means the older the patient is, the lower the GAD-2 and PHQ-2 scores are. A multivariable regression model showed that younger (age ≤ 45 years) and being widowed were associated with being positive for further evaluation for generalized anxiety disorder. Similarly, patients younger than 45 are significantly associated with the need for further evaluation for major depressive disorder (MDD). Social status had a stronger association with the need for further assessment for MDD, with divorced women showing the strongest association, followed by widowed and married women compared to single women. Conclusion This study showed high anxiety and depression among breast cancer patients. The patient’s age and social status were significant factors in determining the need for further psychological assessment. In General, Younger patients showed higher levels of depression and anxiety, the size of the tumor did not show significant association with psychological distress.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer (BC) represents an important cause of cancer death, and its incidence rate has been rising gradually in the Arab world; its prognosis gets better as we detect it early in its first stages. So, it is very important to implement one or more early detection methods such as Breast SelfExamination (BSE), Clinical Breast Examination (CBE) and mammography. BSE represents an effective method to find out changes in breast structure when they happen. This study investigates the knowledge of BSE and its practice in BC patients and compares it with other methods. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the knowledge of breast self-examination (BSE) and its benefit. METHODS A cross-sectional study in Al-Bairouni hospital in Damascus, Syria carried out using face-to-face interviews based on a structured questionnaire. A few information were obtained from the archive department. RESULTS Five hundred patients were interviewed. Only 27.4% of patients had a good knowledge of BSE, 17.4% had average knowledge, and 55.2% had low knowledge of BSE. The factors that have an impact on the knowledge of BSE were: family breast cancer history (first and second-degree relatives), education, and the region of living (between governorates). The effect of knowledge of BSE on its practice was positive. However, only 24.8% of patients have been practicing BSE; the reasons for not practicing BSE were: no one has told the patient about it (64.8% of cases), the patient does not have any symptoms relating to the breast (21.4%). BC was detected by BSE in 15.6% of cases. The size of tumor in 14 of 26 patients who detected BC by BSE was T2. CONCLUSIONS There are some steps that should be taken to increase awareness about BSE among Syrian females