Association Between Cancer Risk Perception and Screening Behavior Among Diverse Women

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Disparities in cancer incidence and mortality vary by race and ethnicity among women, with African Americans having the highest incidence of colon cancer and the highest death rate from breast and cervical cancer.1 Latina women have high incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer but lower rates of colon and breast cancer.1 In general, ethnic minorities have lower rates of cancer screenings, even though this gap has narrowed for mammography and Papanicolaou tests.2-7 Lack of information about cancer, misunderstanding of risk factors or screening guidelines, and inaccurate perception of cancer risk may also affect screening behavior.8,9 Communication of cancer risk to ethnically diverse populations of women has the potential to affect screening behavior. With increasing epidemiological information that quantifies the risks and benefits of early detection and prevention strategies, women's perceived risk for cancer may become a more important factor in the decision to undergo screening.10 Previous studies suggest that access to cancer screening, patient-clinician communication, knowledge about cancer risk, attitudes, and understanding of medical terms are important issues in cancer prevention for minority women.3,6,9,11-13