Heart disease versus cancer: understanding perceptions of population prevalence and personal risk.

Although the gap is narrowing, Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from heart disease than cancer, and yet many believe cancer is more common and their personal risk of cancer is higher than their heart disease risk. Using nationally representative 2013 Health Information National Trends Survey data, we assessed such beliefs and examined sociodemographic and psychological factors and health behaviors associated with these beliefs. 42.8% of participants rated cancer as more common and 78.5% rated their own cancer risk as equal to or exceeding their heart disease risk. These misperceptions were only modestly correlated. Beliefs about relative population risk were associated with various psychological factors, whereas beliefs about relative personal risk were not. Both beliefs were inconsistently associated with health behaviors. Accuracy in beliefs about cancer and heart disease relative risk and prevalence is low and future research should explore antecedents and consequences of these beliefs.

Awareness of the Link between Alcohol Consumption and Cancer across the World: A Review.

Since 1988, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, the highest level of risk. Growing evidence suggests that alcohol increases the risk of several types of cancer including breast, bowel, prostate, and liver, and accounts for a significant proportion of preventable cancers. Despite ample evidence of this relationship, public awareness is less clear. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we reviewed 32 studies examining lay awareness of alcohol as a risk factor for cancer in 16 countries. Our results show that awareness appears to be low and varies internationally; it is relatively higher in the United Kingdom, Morocco, and Australia. Methodologic differences in assessment obfuscate cross-country and cross-sample comparisons. In general, people are more likely to endorse alcohol as a risk factor when presented with a list of possible risk factors than when asked to list risk factors in an open-ended format. Attempts to increase awareness have been limited and constitute a significant public health need. We provide potential strategies to increase awareness, such as alcohol bottle labeling and fostering patient/physician discussions regarding the link. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(4); 429-37. ©2018 AACR.

Social media for breast cancer survivors: a literature review.

PURPOSE: Social media may offer support to individuals who are navigating the complex and challenging experience of cancer. A growing body of literature has been published over the last decade exploring the ways cancer survivors utilize social media. This study aims to provide a systematic synthesis of the current literature in order to inform cancer health communication practice and cancer survivorship research. METHODS: Using PRISMA guidelines, four electronic databases were searched to retrieve publications on breast cancer and social media published between 2005 and 2015. The final sample included 98 publications (13 commentaries and reviews, 47 descriptive studies, and 38 intervention studies). Intervention studies were assessed for key features and outcome measures. Studies utilizing content analysis were further evaluated qualitatively. RESULTS: Online support groups were the most commonly studied platform, followed by interactive message boards and web forums. Limited research focuses on non-Caucasian populations. Psychosocial well-being was the most commonly measured outcome of interest. While social media engagement was assessed, few standardized measures were identified. Content analyses of social media interactions were prevalent, though few articles linked content to health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The current literature highlights the impact and potential utility of social media for breast cancer survivors. Future studies should consider connecting social media engagement and content to psychosocial, behavioral, and physical health outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Online groups and communities may improve the well-being of breast cancer survivors by providing opportunities to engage with wider social networks, connect with others navigating similar cancer experiences, and obtain cancer-related information. Researchers should consider the potential role of social media in addressing the unmet needs of breast cancer survivors, and particularly the implications for clinical and public health practice.