US Pharm. 2018;43(5)(Specialty&Oncology suppl):16-18.
Incorrect beliefs in mythical causes of cancer is very prevalent, according to new research jointly funded by Cancer Research UK and published recently in the European Journal of Cancer. Researchers at University College London and the University of Leeds surveyed 1,330 people in England and found that more than 40% wrongly thought that stress (43%) and food additives (42%) caused cancer.
One-third incorrectly believed that electromagnetic frequencies (35%) and eating genetically modified food (34%) were risk factors, while 19% thought microwave ovens and 15% said drinking from plastic bottles caused cancer despite a lack of good scientific evidence. Among the proven causes of cancer, 88% of people correctly selected smoking, 80% picked passive smoking, and 60% said sunburn.
Dr. Samuel Smith from the University of Leeds said, “It’s worrying to see so many people endorse risk factors for which there is no convincing evidence. Compared to past research, it appears the number of people believing in unproven causes of cancer has increased since the start of the century, which could be a result of changes to how we access news and information through the Internet and social media.
“It’s vital to improve public education about the causes of cancer if we want to help people make informed decisions about their lives and ensure they aren’t worrying unnecessarily,” he added.
