Evaluation of Knowledge of Medical Students of University of Lomé (Togo) on the Contribution of Prostate Biopsy in the Detection of Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in humans in most developed countries. In Togo, around 59.8% of prostate cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage because of the insufficient screening in connection with the recent introduction of prostate biopsy and the late generalization of PSA (prostate specific antigen). Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge of students from the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Lomé on the contribution of prostate biopsy in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Results: A total of 1017 students filled out the form, with an overall response rate of 95.3%. The range age of the subjects was 24.5 years, and a sex ratio (M/F) of 2.51. The majority of students were license (546, 53.69%). Five hundred and eighty-one (57.13%) of the students had not received any training in prostate cancer. Five hundred and eighty-two students (57.23%) had no knowledge of prostate biopsy. There is a statistically significant link between students’ knowledge of the prostate biopsy and age (OR 1, 95% CI [0.49 - 2.03], p = 0.0001), sex (OR 1, 95% CI [0.33 - 1.08], p = 0.0003), the study cycle (OR 2.5, 95% CI [1.02 - 5.06], p = 0.0047) and the effectiveness of an internship in urology department (OR 1, 95% CI [0.61 - 1.31], p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Medical students have little knowledge of the place of biopsy in the detection of prostate cancer. Educational efforts should focus on improving their knowledge so that they can make appropriate decisions in the future.