          www.academicpublishingplatforms.com ISSN: 1804-1884 (Print) 1805-5014 (Online) Volume 7, 2011, pp. 49-56    © 2011 Prague Development Center                  Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in most parts of the world including Malaysia. Even though breast self examination (BSE) is not seen as a relevant cancer screening tool anymore, it still plays an important role in the breast health awareness programme. Aim of the study to determine the knowledge of respondents on breast cancer regarding the risk factors, symptoms, and to determine respondents’ practice of breast self#examination. A cross sectional study was carried out in University Putra Malaysia, data were collected using validated questionnaire developed for this study. Among respondents 197(83.1%) were single, 100 were Malay (42.3%) and 49(20.7%) of the respondents reported having a family history of breast cancer. eighty#seven respondents (36.7%) claimed they had practice BSE. There were statistically significant differences between those who practice and did not practice BSE in term of knowledge regarding risk factors, symptoms of breast cancer, total knowledge of breast cancer and knowledge score of BSE (p#value <0.05). The findings showed that knowledge of breast cancer and the practice of BSE is inadequate among young Malaysian female. MEHRNOOSH AKHTARI-ZAVARE 1 , MUHAMAD HANAFIAH JUNI 1 , ROSLIZA ABDUL MANAF 2 , IRMI ZARINA ISMAIL 2 , SALMIAH MD. SAID 1 1 Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University Putra Malaysia 2 Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University Putra Malaysia          !"#"$%!"!&&!  Breast cancer appears to be a major global health problem of both the developing and developed countries (World Health Organization, 2009). Similarly, in Malaysia breast cancer was reported as the most common cancer among female and also the most important cancer among population regardless of sex in Peninsular Malaysia by the National Cancer Registry (NCR, 2006). There was 3525 female breast cancer cases registered in the NCR for 2006, accounted for 16.5% of all cancer cases registered (National Cancer Registry, 2006). In Malaysia, 50#60% of women’s with breast cancer presenting at Stage 3 or Stage 4 with little or no benefit to be derived from any form of therapy (Hisham and Yip, 2004). Also, among the younger women breast cancer tend to be larger, at a more advanced stage and more aggressive than those affecting older women (Brennan, 2005). Young women (aged 20#29 years) with breast cancer have a 72.4 per cent mortality rate (National Breast Cancer Centre, 2004). The social and cultural perceptions of breast cancer in Malaysia are the most important contributors to the advanced stage of presentation. Women in Malaysia may seek alternative and traditional medicine in a desperate effort to combat the disease (Hashim and Yip, 2003). Breast cancer not only threatens the life of a woman but also affects her gender identity and body image (Parsa, Kandiah, Mohd Zulkefli, Abdul Rahman, 2008). There are reliable evidences in the literature which support the effectiveness of CBE and mammography in reducing mortality due to early detection and treatment of breast cancer (Larkin, 2001). On the other hand, the effectiveness of BSE in mortality reduction is contentious which, some scholars argue that practicing BSE make women more “breast aware” (Larkin, 2001). However, in developing countries like Malaysia where national