Many people hold mistaken beliefs about what causes cancer, tending to inflate the threat from environmental factors that have relatively little impact while minimizing the hazards of behaviours well established as cancer risk factors, according to the first global survey on the topic.
The survey, conducted by Roy Morgan Research and Gallup International on behalf of the International Union of Against Cancer (UICC), identified key areas where misconceptions could be addressed and where lives could be saved.
The survey involved interviewing 29,925 people in 29 countries across the globe during the last year. It is the first study to provide internationally comparable data on perceptions about cancer risk factors. The results, which allow for comparison between high-, middle- and low-income countries, were released Wednesday at the UICC’s World Cancer Congress in Geneva.
Key findings from the survey include: