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Senior Citizens Worst In Spotting Cancer Myths
One quarter of Americans believe cancer cure is being
withheld by industry
June 27, 2005 Senior citizens are the worst
informed about cancer, according to an American Cancer Society survey
that found up to half of all Americans mistakenly believe surgery can
spread cancer, and more than one in four thinks a cure for cancer
already exists but is being held back by a profit-driven industry.
The authors say it shows the American public is
significantly ill-informed about cancer, and that most overestimate how
much they know.
The medical management of cancer and cancer-related
complications, such as pain, has significantly improved over the last
three decades, as have survival rates for leading cancers. Still,
studies indicate that a patient's own cultural beliefs and understanding
of cancer may influence health behavior, such as whether patients get
regular screenings and undergo treatment.
Led by Ted Gansler, M.D., M.B.A of the American
Cancer Society, researchers conducted a national telephone survey of 957
adults with no history of cancer to assess Americans' understanding of
the disease and its management, and identify any demographic
characteristics associated with misconceptions. Participants were asked
if five misconceptions were true or false.
People who were over 65 years, of non-White race,
residents of the South, or self-identified as without much or any
understanding of cancer were likely to hold more misconceptions.
The authors found only one in four (25 percent) of
participants correctly identified all five misconceptions as false.
> Four in ten (41 percent) of the
respondents believed that surgical treatment actually spread cancer in
the body and 13 percent said they were unsure whether this was true.
> Twenty-seven percent believed that
there is a cure for cancer available being withheld by the healthcare
industry and an additional 14 percent were uncertain.
> Nineteen percent believed that pain
medications were ineffective in treating cancer pain with another 13
percent saying they did not know.
> Nine in ten (89 percent) correctly
disagreed with the statement that "all you need to beat cancer is a
positive attitude," but more than one in ten (11 percent) either thought
is was true or did not know.
> A similar percentage (87 percent)
correctly disagreed that "cancer is something that cannot be effectively
treated," but again, about one in eight (13 percent) either agreed or
did not know.
The survey found little relation between people's
self-assessment of cancer knowledge and the accuracy of their answers.
For four of the five questions, there was no significant difference in
prevalence of endorsement of the inaccuracies between the groups who
called themselves "very informed," "somewhat informed," or "not very
informed." However, those who called themselves "not at all informed"
were generally quite accurate when rating their own health literacy.
"These results indicate that public and patient
education interventions are most urgently needed in cancer centers,
medical practices, and other community organizations that serve large
numbers of patients with these 'at risk' demographic characteristics,"
conclude the authors.
Results of the survey are published in the August
1, 2005 issue of CANCER (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/cancer-newsroom),
a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
Take the Top 10
Cancer Myths Quiz
Myths and rumors become dangerous if they prevent
people from having regular check-ups and tests to find cancer in the
earliest, most curable stage. Take the quiz to test your own knowledge
about cancer, including everyday moves that lower the risk of cancer.
Here are the ten true of false questions you will find an the American
Cancer Society Website. (Click
here to go to their quiz)
-
The risk of dying from cancer in the US is
increasing.
-
Regularly eating meat cooked on a charcoal
grill won't increase your risk for cancer.
-
You can prevent skin cancer by putting on one
application of sunscreen at the start of each day.
-
Household bug spray can cause cancer.
-
Treating cancer with surgery causes it to
spread throughout the body.
-
Living in a polluted city is a greater risk for
lung cancer than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.
-
Some injuries can cause cancer later in life.
-
Electronic devices, like cell phones, can cause
cancer in the people who use them.
-
There is currently a cure for cancer, but the
medical industry wont tell the public about it because they make
too much money treating cancer patients.
-
What someone does as a young adult has little
impact on their chances of getting cancer later in life.
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