Gaps remain in women's knowledge of cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The results of a survey suggest that nearly two thirds of women mistakenly believe that if no one in their family has cancer, they are not likely to develop the disease themselves.

In reality, most cancers occur in people with no family history of the disease, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) wants women to know.

The findings of the survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of ACOG, indicate a "worrisome gap in women's knowledge about cancer," said Dr. Douglas W. Laube, immediate past president of ACOG. "That knowledge gap combined with women's fear of cancer may be putting their health at risk."

Laube and his colleagues based their findings on the responses of 1,664 women, at least 18 years old, who were surveyed online between October 1 and October 7, 2007. Factors such as race, age, education level and household income were weighted when the data were evaluated.

"On a positive note," said Laube, "according to the ACOG survey, 76 percent of women feel knowledgeable about how they can reduce their risk of cancer and many are on the right track," based on research showing declining cancer death rates.

Nonetheless, Laube added, the survey also found that only half (52 percent) of women feel they are currently doing enough to reduce their risk of cancer, 10 percent say they haven't done anything in the past year to lower their risk, and nearly 1 in 5 (17 percent) aren't willing to make changes in how they live even if it will reduce their risk of cancer.

Fear of cancer may be keeping some women from seeking important screening tests that can detect cancer early. According to the survey, 1 in 5 women (20 percent) say they do not want to know if they have cancer.

Only 56 percent of women surveyed said they saw their health care provider on a regular basis in the past year; 29 percent have not seen a health care provider on a regular basis and have not had a Pap test or mammogram in the past year.

Thirty-seven percent of women who did not see their doctor or get a Pap test or mammogram in the past year said they couldn't afford it. "The greatest potential to further reduce the cancer death toll will come from efforts to improve screening and access to preventive health care, particularly for women without health insurance," Laube said.

In response to the survey results, ACOG launched a new web-based guide called "Protect and Detect: What Women Should Know about Cancer."

Available at www.acog.org, the guide covers the main cancers that occur in women -- breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, ovarian, and uterine cancer -- and offers information about who is most at risk, how cancer can be prevented, available screenings and their recommended frequency, and how the cancer is treated.

In tandem with the launch of the guide, ACOG released new guidelines for colorectal cancer prevention recommend that women be screened for colorectal cancer by colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50.

"Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among women," noted Dr. Stanley Zinberg ACOG deputy executive vice president. "Unfortunately, you may have no symptoms -- you can look healthy and feel healthy and not know there is a problem. But it is highly curable if found early, and proper screening is the key."