London: Mistaken
belief in mythical causes of cancer is rife, according to new research from UCL
and the University of Leeds. The
findings, published today in the European Journal of Cancer,
show that out of 1,330 people in England more than 40% wrongly thought
that stress (43%) and food additives (42%) caused cancer. A third incorrectly believed that electromagnetic frequencies
(35%) and eating GM 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.
Belief in mythical causes of cancer did not mean a person was more
likely to have risky lifestyle habits.
But those who had better knowledge of proven causes were more
likely not to smoke.
Dr Lion Shahab
(UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health) said: “People’s beliefs are so
important because they have an impact on the lifestyle choices they make. Those
with better awareness of proven causes of cancer were more likely not to smoke
and to eat more fruit and vegetables.”
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.”
Clare Hyde from
Cancer Research UK said: “Around four in 10 cancer cases could be prevented through
lifestyle changes so it’s crucial we have the right information to help us
separate the wheat from the chaff.
“Smoking, being
overweight and overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and sunbeds are the
biggest preventable causes of cancer.
“There is no guarantee against getting cancer but by knowing the biggest
risk factors we can stack the odds in our favour to help reduce our individual
risk of the disease, rather than wasting time worrying about fake news.”
This work
was supported by a Cancer Research UK/Bupa Foundation Innovation Award.
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Media contact
Rowan Walker
Tel: +44 (0)20 3108 8515
Email: rowan.walker [at] ucl.ac.uk