The screening of cancer, especially the brecer screening is arelatively new approach to cancers in Iran. This study aims to introduce the purpose of breast cancer screening in women residing in two different districts of the city Tehran and invites them to attend in the first screening round. This invitation was carried out in two different ways and the results were compared. The first invitation method was the mailed one, which contained information regarding the prevalence and prognosis of breast cancer and the screening modalities. It also invited the woman to attend the first screening round noticing that the clinical examinations were free.
The second invitation method was the verbal one, based on the special cultural background of the people in Iran. It contained the same information material mentioned above.
Results: In the first district, 680 mailed invitations were distributed and the response rate was 6.7%. The response rate in 205 successive verbal invitations was 33.3% with a statistically proven significance towards the mailed interventions. The most mentioned cause of not attending in the screening round were that the women preferred another physicians and after that not having enough time, not having a breast problem and difficulties in reaching the screening center. Educational, marital and occupational status didn’t have an effect on these results.
In the seconded district, 390 invitations were malied and 6.4% of the women responded. 205 succeeded verbal invitations had a response rate of 20.7% with a statistically significant difference.
The women invited in the verbal invited were significantly younger, less educated, singel and housewifes. The most noticed causes of not responding were not having the needed time and after that not having abreast problem.
The mean cost per capita was 8043.5 RIs (The common currency in Iran) for the mailed and 3700 RIs for the verbal intervention in the first district. This was 11280 RIs for the mailed and 21583 RIs for the verbal invitation in the second district. Both of these differences were significant and it can be concluded that with limited resources of time, money and staff, the mailed intervention has a higher coverage for the women.
Conclusion: In overall, it seems that the use of mailed intervention against vebral intervention needs lesser mony, staff and is practical, but the response to verbal intervention is much more higher. So the choice of each kind of intervention depends on the final goal the study.