Fatalistic
Beliefs about Cancer Cause Many to Ignore Cancer Prevention Advice
PHILADELPHIA
-- If you feel that you are fated for cancer, your belief could
turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. According to a national survey of
more than 6,000 U.S. adults published in the May issue of Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a substantial number of
American adults hold fatalistic beliefs about cancer and are
correspondingly less likely to take basic steps to lower their cancer
risk, such as exercising, quitting smoking and eating a healthy diet rich
in fruits and vegetables.
The study, which analyzes data from the National Cancer Institute’s
Health Information National Trends Survey, is the first national survey in
almost 20 years to assess Americans’ knowledge about and attitudes
toward cancer prevention. The findings have implications for cancer
education efforts.
“Many Americans seem to feel afraid and helpless in regards to cancer,
which may be exacerbated by conflicting news reports and a general lack of
education on the causes and prevention of cancer,” said Jeff Niederdeppe,
Ph.D., professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “They say
‘well, there is nothing much you can do about it’ and, as our survey
shows, they indeed do nothing about it.”
The survey asked respondents if they agreed with three statements about
cancer. About 47 percent of those surveyed agreed with the statement that
“It seems like almost everything causes cancer,” while 27 percent
agreed that “There’s not much people can do to lower their chances of
getting cancer.” Moreover, 71.5 percent of American adults agreed that
“There are so many recommendations about preventing cancer, it’s hard
to know which ones to follow.”
People who maintained at least one of these three beliefs were less likely
than others to exercise weekly and eat five daily servings of fruits and
vegetables. People who believed that “it’s hard to know” what to do
were more likely to smoke. All three beliefs, the researchers say, were
associated with lower levels of education.
Despite the ready availability of cancer information, the researchers
conclude, there has been little progress in changing the belief that
“everything causes cancer” in the last 20 years. According to the
researchers, it is unclear whether and to what degree media coverage of
cancer influences beliefs. While this study did not specifically address
the news media’s role in enforcing cancer fatalism, Niederdeppe believes
that the constantly changing messages people get from the news are often
confusing.
“Cancer is a difficult thing to talk about in the space of a single news
story,” Niederdeppe said. “Science values repetition, while the media
values novelty. Those two concepts naturally butt heads, which can confuse
people.”
If conflicting news accounts of cancer prevention science are the cause of
confusion, Niederdeppe says, educators ought to focus on developing
simple, straightforward messages in teaching the general public about what
they can do to prevent disease.
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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent
and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest
professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The
membership includes nearly 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical
researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates
in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the
full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate
progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through
high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative,
meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than
17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in
the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data
across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient
care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer
Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics;
Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers
& Prevention. Its most recent publication, CR, is a
magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families,
physicians, and scientists. It provides a forum for sharing essential,
evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer
research, survivorship, and advocacy.
