Beliefs and Behaviors of Breast Cancer Screening in Women Referring to Health Care Centers in Northwest Iran According

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide (Mousavi et al., 2009). The disease embraces 22.9% of invasive cancers and 16% of whole females’ cancers (Sariego et al., 2010; Robb et al., 2007). According to the age of new breast cancer cases, the incidence of the disease has increased in a steady way from the mid 1940’s (Aronowitz, 2007). Breast cancer, with the highest level of mortality, is the most prevalent, and psychologically and emotionally damaging cancer among Iranian women (Hatefnia et al., 2010). The cancer makes up approximately 18.9% of cancers of all type (Beaglehade, 2003). Over the late four decades, the rise of incidence rate of breast cancer among Iranian woman has placed it in the most malignant disease group. The incidence rate of breast cancer in Iranian women has been 22 out of 100,000, and has displayed the age range of 15-85, while its peak of incidence has been between 40 and 49 (Hatefnia et al., 2010). Based on the studies undertaken in Iran, it