Cancer Res Treat.  2016 Apr;48(2):775-788. 10.4143/crt.2014.369.

Public Perceptions on Cancer Incidence and Survival: A Nation-wide Survey in Korea

• Kim S
• Shin DW
• Yang HK
• Kim SY
• Ko YJ
• Cho B
• Lee YS
• Lee D
• Park K
• Park JH

• KMID: 2454356
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4143/crt.2014.369

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to compare the public perceptions of the incidence rates and survival rates for common cancers with the actual rates from epidemiologic data.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We conducted a survey of Korean adults without history of cancer (n=2,000). The survey consisted of questions about their perceptions regarding lifetime incidence rates and 5-year survival rates for total cancer, as well as those of eight site-specific cancers. To investigate associated factors, we included questions about cancer worry (Lerman's Cancer Worry Scale) or cared for a family member or friend with cancer as a caregiver.
RESULTS
Only 19% of Korean adults had an accurate perception of incidence rates compared with the epidemiologic data on total cancer. For specific cancers, most of the respondents overestimated the incidence rates and 10%-30% of men and 6%-18% of women had an accurate perception. A high score in "cancer worry" was associated with higher estimates of incidence rates in total and specific cancers. In cancers with high actual 5-year survival rates (e.g., breast and thyroid), the majority of respondents underestimated survival rates. However, about 50% of respondents overestimated survival rates in cancers with low actual survival rates (e.g., lung and liver). There was no factor consistently associated with perceived survival rates.
CONCLUSION
Widespread discrepancies were observed between perceived probability and actual epidemiological data. In order to reduce cancer worry and to increase health literacy, communication and patient education on appropriate risk is needed.

Keyword

Perception; Cancer incidence; Cancer survival; Worry; Health numeracy

MeSH Terms

Adult
Breast
Caregivers
Female
Friends
Health Literacy
Humans
Incidence*
Korea*
Lung
Male
Patient Education as Topic
Surveys and Questionnaires
Survival Rate

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Distributions of participants’ perceptions of the lifetime, cumulative incidence rate by cancer site. The red vertical line in each figure indicates the actual incidence rate for each cancer based on an analysis of cancer statistics in Korea from 2011.

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  Fig. 2. Distributions of participants’ perceptions of the 5-year survival rate by cancer site. The red vertical line in each figure indicates the incidence rate for each cancer based on an analysis of cancer statistics in Korea from 2011.

Reference

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