UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective: Those in resources poor countries such as Iran often view a cancer diagnosis as guaranteed suffering and death. This cross sectional study examines cancer literacy among the general population in Tehran, Iran.

Methods: 794 adults age 15 and over participated in the study and were surveyed using a 16-item questionnaire. Five of the questions were related to demographics, five to knowledge, five to attitudes, and one to perceived causes of cancer.

Results: The mean age of respondents was 24.6 years (SD = 8.80). Most were male (58%), with a secondary education (72%). It appeared that the respondents were fairly knowledgeable about cancer based on their correct answers ranging from 35% to 78%. Seventy-six percent either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement that cancer cannot be cured. Fifty percent indicated the diagnosis and treatment process related to cancer in developing countries was inferior to that of developed nations. Finally, 330 respondents (42%) admitted they were uncertain about cancer causes while the remaining 464 (58%) indicated that they perceived causes to be related to: diet (17.3%), genetics (16.5%), environmental factors (12.9%), smoking (12.5%), stress (12.4%), public health (9.8%), and new life styles (9.3%). Females and those with lower education were more likely to be uncertain about cancer causes (P = 0.003, and P = 0.03 respectively). The findings are encouraging and may contribute to the future efforts to create highly effective cancer prevention and control educational materials in Iran and other similar developing countries.